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1    THE  BOY  SCOUTS  IN  CAMP 
'i  2  THE  BOY  SCOUTS  TO  THE  BESCUE 


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3  THE  BOY  SCOUTS  ON  THE  TRAIL 

4  THE  BOY  SCOUT  FIRE-FIGHTERS 

5  THE  BOY  SCOUTS  AFLOAT 

6  THE  BOY  SCOUT  PATHFINDERS 

7  THE  BOY  SCOUT  AUTOMOBILISTS 

8  THE  BOY  SCOUT  AVIATORS 

9  THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  CHAMPION  RECRUIT 
%0    THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 
,11    THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  CHALLENGE 

12  THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  VICTORY 

13  THE  BOY  SCOUTS  UNDER  KING  GEORGE 

14  THE  BOY  SCOUTS  WITH  THE  ALLIES 

15  THE  BOY  SCOUTS  UNDER  THE  KAISER 

16  THE  BOY  SCOUTS  AT  LIEGE 

17  THE  BOY  SCOUTS  WITH  THE  COSSACKS 

18  THE  BOY  SCOUTS  BEFORE  BELGRADE 

19  THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  TEST 

20  THE  BOY  SCOUTS  IN  FRONT  OF  WARSAW 

21  THE  BOY  SCOUTS  UNDER  THE  RED  CROSS 


Boy  Scout  Series  Volume  10 

The  Boy  Scouts' 
Defiance 

OR 
Will  Ransier's  Heroic  Act 


BY 
Colonel  George  Durston 


THE  SAALFIELD  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

CHICAGO  AKRON,  OHIO  NEW  YORK 


Copyright,  1912 

By 

The  Saal field  Publishing  Co, 


The  Boy  Scouts' 

Defiance 


CHAPTER  I 

A  DASH  FOR  LIFE 

"It  is  not  what  it  is  cracked  up  to  be,"  said 
"Will  Ransier  gloomily.  He  leaned  wearily  against 
the  iron  railing  outside  the  waiting-room  of  the 
trolley  station. 

"  What's  not  what  it's  cracked  up  to  be,  Fat?  " 
asked  Tony  Keene,  the  boy  beside  him. 

u  Money,' '  said  Will,  bitterly.  "  Money!  Look 
what  it 's  done  to  me.  Here  I  am  stuck  in  an 
old  flat.  Flail.  I  won't  say  apartment,  no  matter 
how  the  janitor  glares.  Stuck  in  an  old  flat  when  I 
ought  to  be  out  there  in  Lafayette  skinning  Jack 
McDermott  out  of  all  of  his  miggles.  It  makes  me 
sore!  Honest,  if  it  keeps  up  I'll  go  to  boarding- 
school  and  get  quit  of  it!  " 

"  Dont  do  that,"  said  Tony  hastily,  shocked  at 
the  threat.  If  Fatty  Ransier  was  sore  enough  to 
want  to  go  to  boarding-school  then  the  case  was 
serious. 

"  Gee,  you  don't  know  what  your  talkin'  about. 


4         THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

You  don't  want  to  quit  the  bunch  like  that.  You 
don't  know  what  will  turn  up.  Your  folks  didn't 
sell  the  place  in  Lafayette,  did  they?  Perhaps 
your  father  will  lose  his  money." 

"  Naw,  he  won't!"  groaned  Fatty.  "First 
place,  Dad  isn't  the  losing  kind,  and,  second  place, 
that  old  land  he  bought  down  there  in  Vir- 
ginia just  fairly  spouts  oil  all  over  it.  Oh,  I'm  in 
for  it  all  right!  I  tell  you  the  only  fun  I  have, 
Tone,  is  guying  the  janitor  in  the  flat.  He's  none 
of  your  Mr.  Browns,  I  can  tell'you.  He's  English 
or  Dutch  or  something,  and  he  goes  in  for  swells. 
There  are  two  smart  little  sissy-boys  in  the  Al- 
hambra  (you  know  that's  the  name  of  the  flat 
where  we  live),  and  one  of  'em  is  my  age,  and  one 
is  a  year  older:  and  they  carry  canes.  Honest, 
Tony,  I'm  going  to  dent  those  little  boys  way  in 
some  day,  if  I  get  pulled  for  it. 

' '  Well,  Peters,  the  janitor,  when  he  sees  the 
Carrolls,  he  bows  and  scrapes,  and  when  they  ride 
up  and  down,  he  runs  that  elevator  as  if  he  had  a 
sick  baby  in  it:  and  it's  '  Good  morning,  Mr.  Car- 
roll, sir !  Fine  day,  sir !  '  The  fellows  treat  him 
like  dirt,  too. 

"I  couldn't  see  through  it,  so  I  thought  I'd  ex- 
periment. One  whole  tveek  I  treated  him  as  good 
as  I  knew  how :  just  as  sweet  as  a  peach.  It  was 
1  Good  morning,  Peters !  Fine  day !  '  and  a  sunny 
smile  from  your  little  Willie,  but  the  Peters  man 
never  thawed.    Next  week  I  treated  him  like  a  yek 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE         5 

low  dog.  Cussed  him  out  if  the  elevator  didn't  get 
right  there,  and  was  a  mean  actor  generally.  Lit- 
tle Peters  just  acted  as  mean  as  I  did. 

"  Next  week  I  never  saw  him.  Didn't  know  but 
what  the  elevator  ran  itself.  Took  my  time  and 
kept  him  waiting  all  I  knew  how.  Nothing  doing. 
And  all  the  while  those  smart  Carroll  children 
were  being  petted  to  death.  I  was  crazy  to  see 
through  it.  It  didn't  seem  as  if  Peters  could  be 
such  a  fool  as  he  acted.  Well,  the  next  week,  Tony, 
I  hit  it!" 

' '  How  sol"  grinned  Tony. 

"  It  was  just  a  little  matter  of  tips,  just  simple 
little  tips.  I  started  in  with  a  cigar.  Gee !  Peters 
nearly  fell  out  of  the  elevator.  It  was  so  sudden 
and  unexpected  from  me,  you  know.  Next  day  I 
donated  a  quarter,  and  two  days  later  a  half.  He 
told  me  he  had  been  a  '  gentleman's  man  '  in  Eng- 
land, and  would  like  to  press  my  pants.  Only  he 
said  '  trousers. '  The  next  day  I  dropped  a  dollar 
into  his  pocket  when  he  was  looking,  and  say, 
Tone,  it  was  money  well  spent!  Peters  can't  see 
the  Carroll  kids  at  all  when  yours  truly  is  there. 
^Now  I  have  it  down  to  a  science.  I  don't  donate  a 
cent  until  he's  most  crazy,  and  then  I  kind  of  wake 
up  as  if  I'd  forgotten  all  about  it,  and  feed  him 
some.   Keeps  him  guessing,  you  know ! 

"  I  certainly  do  hate  his  sort.  Always  trying  to 
bleed  you.    Little  snipe!  " 

"  I  didn't  think  he  looked  as  bad  as  all  that," 


'6  THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE 

said  Tony.  * '  He  looked  kind  of  sick  to  me,  or  else 
as  if  something  bothered  him.  It  can't  be  much  of 
a  cinch  to  have  that  job.    I  wonldn 't  like  it. ' l 

*}  Well,  you  wouldn't  like  him  either  if  you  lived 
with  him  the  way  I  have  to.  I  tell  you,  Tone,  it 's 
worse  than  that  to  live  in  town.'' 

Tony  was  silent  for  a  few  minutes ;  he  was  busy 
pressing  his  name  on  a  piece  of  aluminum  in  the 
printing  machine  beside  him.  - 

"  Well,  Fat,"  he  said  finally,  "  you  make  me 
feel  so  good  about  it,  that  I  guess  I'll  have  to  tell 
you  the  news.  Don't  spread  it,  but  the  fact  is,  we 
are  in  the  same  boat !  ' ' 

"What  boat?  "  asked  the  amazed  Fatty. 
"  You  mean  money?  " 

"  No  such  luck,"  said  Tony  Keene.  "  Only 
we  Ve  got  to  bring  Fred  to  town  for  a  few  months 
or  a  year  perhaps.  Until  fall,  anyhow.  If  he  can 
be  treated  every  day,  the  doctors  say  his  lameness 
can  be  cured ;  so  we  've  got  to  come  in  with  him. ' ' 

Fatty  stood  still  for  a  full  minute.  '  Then  he 
flapped  his  thin,  long  arms  wildly  about  his  head 
and  let  out  a  war-whoop  of  pure  joy.  When  he 
could  come  down  to  facts,  he  said : 

"  Tone,  you  are  the  only  original  tight  wad. 
Why  didn't  you  tell  me  this  before?  " 

"  Just  found  it  out,"  said  Tony.  "  I  am  not 
<3razy  over  it  myself :  but  of  course  if  it  will  help 
Fred,  why,  it's  all  right  —  and  they  are  dead  sure 
that  it  will  help  him.    He's  getting  better  all  the 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE  7 

time ;  but  if  he  could  have  a  treatment  every  day  it 
would  hustle  things  up.  And  the  poor  kid  is  so 
crazy  to  get  well." 

"  Must  cost  a  small  wad,"  said  Fatty.  "  All 
the  electrical  fhmimy-diddle. '  * 

"  Don't  you  know  about  it?  "  asked  Tony.  "  I 
thought  I  told  you.  Mr.  Smith  is  doing  it  for 
Fred.  Told  mother  that  he  was  going  to  do  it  any- 
how, and  the  obligation  was  all  on  his  side  because 
Fred  had  done  so  much  for  him. ' ' 

"  Gee,  but  that  sounds  just  like  him,"  said 
Fatty,  raising  his  cap  to  the  absent  Mr.  Smith. 
"  Isn't  he  the  fine  and  dandy  old  peach?  " 

"  He  sure  is,"  said  Tony.  "  He  told  mother 
that  he  hated  arguments  and  that  he  would  rather 
not  talk  about  it.  He  has  an  empty  flat  here,  and 
we  are  to  take  that. ' ' 

"  Well,  say,"  said  Fatty,  "  did  you  mean  to  go 
oif  with  all  this  dope  bottled  up  and  never  give  me 
any  of  it !    You  ought  to  get  your  head  punched !  ' ? 

"  No,  I  thought  I'd  tell  you,  although  I  had 
made  up  my  mind  to  spring  it  on  you  when  we 
came." 

' '  You  sprang  enough,  I  must  say, ' '  said  Fatty. 
"  Gee,  Tony,  but  it's  good  news !  Now  I  feel  like 
a  human  being.    When  are  you  coming?  " 

"  Next  week,"  said  Tony. 

"  Well,  you  are  going  to  hate  it  something 
fierce,"  warned  Fatty.  "But  two  of  us  —  Gee, 
Tone,  I'll  hand  you  one  of  the  Carrolls.    You  can 


8  THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

never  say  I'm  not  generous.  You  can  help  me 
spend  some  of  Dad's  money,  too." 

"  Why,  sure,"  laughed  Tony,  "  your  Dad  will 
like  that." 

"  Sure  thing  he  will,"  said  Will,  earnestly. 
"  Dad  has  a  new  scheme.  He  lets  me  have  about 
enough  for  two  boys.  It's  about  six  times  as  much 
as  I  ever  had  before,  but  he  says  he  wants  to  see 
how  good  a  use  I  can  put  it  to.  He  and  I  have  a 
business  talk  every  Saturday  night,  and  if  I've 
done  any  monkey  stunts  with  my  little  wad,  why, 
he  calls  me  down.  • ' 

"  Well,  here's  my  car,"  said  Tony.  "  You'll 
see  me  soon!  " 

".Why  can't  I  come  out  with  the  automobile 
and  bring  Fred  and  your  mother  to  town?  "yelled 
Fatty  as  the  car  slowly  started. 

Tony  nodded  and  waved.  And  Will,  happier 
than  he  had  been  since  his  father's  business  inter- 
ests had  brought  them  to  town,  hurried  up  Paul 
street  with  a  light  step. 

"  Hello,  little  boy!  "  cried  his  mother,  as  he  en- 
tered the  apartment.  She  was  full  three  inches 
shorter  than  Will,  and  so  bright  looking  that  Will 
always  said  she  sparkled.  Her  light  hair  curled 
softly,  and  she  had  pink  cheeks  like  a  girl's.  Will 
was  proud  of  his  mother. 

"  Hello,  poor  old  motherkin!  "  he  said,  kissing 
her  on  the  tip  of  her  nose. 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE  9 

11 1  want  to  go  down  town,  Will,  if  you  will  avive 
the  car.    I  do  not  like  that  new  man. ' ' 

"  Sure,"  said  Will.  "  He's  down  there  now. 
I'll  go  down  and  tell  him  he  needn't  wait.  Say, 
mother,  I've  got  the  best  news.  Mrs.  Keene  and 
Tony  and  Fred  are  coming  in  town  to  live  this 
summer :  what  do  you  know  about  that  I  ' ' 

Mrs.  Ransier  sat  down  limply  upon  the  divan. 

"  In  town?  "  she  asked.    "  What  for?  " 

Then  Will  told  her. 

"  Well,  I  am  delighted,"  she  said  when  he  had 
finished.  "  I  love  Mary  Keene,  and  it  will  be  so 
nice  to  have  her  here.  I  am  glad  you  offered  to  go 
and  get  them,  son.  We  will  drive  out  tomorrow 
and  ask  if  we  can  do  something  to  help  about  mov- 
ing or  settling." 

"  That's  a  good  plan,"  said  Will,  and  ran  down 
to  the  automobile. 

The  Alhambra  was  the  first  apartment  house  in 
the  city  of  Syrchester,  and  occupied  a  corner  on 
Paul  street.  The  Ransier  automobile,  a  big  *ix 
cylinder  touring  car,  stood  against  the  curb  and 
Fatty  sat  at  the  wheel  waiting  for  his  mother. 
She  was  a  long  time.  Fatty  thought  he  would  get 
the  car  cranked  up  and  go  around  the  block.  He 
got  out  and  stood  by  the  big  hood,  noticing  as  he 
did  so  a  boy  on  a  bicycle  coasting  rapidly  down, 
Paul  street  hill.  He  stopped,  then  straightened  up 
as  he  heard  a  crash  and  a  cry. 

A  big  gray  racing  car  was  booming  up  the  hill, 


10        THE  COY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

and  on  the  pavement,  almost  at  his  feet,  lay  the 
hoy  who  bu*  a  moment  before  had  ridden  down  the 
hill.  Fatty  ran  to  his  side,  remembering  with  a 
leap  of  the  heart  his  training  in  First  Aid  to  the 
Injured.  This  was  one  of  the  things  required  of 
the  B07  Scouts,  and  Fatty  had  worked  hard  to 
master  the  lessons.  He  had  practiced  on  his  father 
and  2nother  and  the  cat  —  to  say  nothing  of  the 
fellows.  With  the  exception  of  a  couple  of  boys 
that  Fatty,  who  was  a  fine  swimmer,  had  rescued 
from  drowning,  this  was  his  first  real  case :  and  to 
his  credit  be  it  said  that  Fatty 's  presence  of  mind 
did  not  fail  him. 

It  was  noon  and  the  street  was  almost  deserted : 
but  Will  knelt  by  the  unconscious  and  bloody  fig- 
ure and  gently  straightened  it.  One  leg  was 
broken,  and  a  great  lump  on  the  back  of  the  boy 's 
head  was  rapidly  growing  larger.  Across  his  tem- 
ple ran  a  long,  ugly  cut ;  but  the  worst  was  a  gash 
across  his  left  wrist,  from  which  the  blood  leaped 
in  little  jets.  Will  gave  one  look  about  for  help, 
then  set  swiftly  to  work.  A  grocery  wagon  drov£ 
by  and  stopped.  It  was  as  though  a  signal  had 
been  sounded.  Like  a  flash  a  crowd  collected ;  but 
Fatty  worked  on  over  the  unconscious  form.  The 
crowd  talked  and  jostled.  At  his  elbow  a  voice 
said :  ' '  Let  me  help !  ' '  Fatty  glanced  up  at  a 
good  looking  boy  about  his  own  age,  who  gave 
the  Scout  salute  and  said : 

"  Anybody  called  an  ambulance?  " 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE        11 

"  Don't  know,"  said  Fatty.  "  I  had  to  stop 
that  blood." 

The  boy  stood  up  and  pointed  to  the  grocer  boy 
who  stood  whip  in  hand.  "  Get  an  ambulance 
here,"  he  ordered. 

"  Yes,  get  an  ambulance,"  cried  a  dozen. 

A  policeman  hurried  up,  and  a  doctor  came  out 
of  a  nearby  house.  * •  The  boy  is  dying, ' '  he  said, 
after  a  hurried  examination.  ' 6  He  must  be  gotten 
to  a  hospital.    Where  is  an  ambulance!  " 

At  that  moment  the  grocer 's  young  man  bustled 
back. 

"  You  forgot  to  say  what  hospital  you  wanted 
to  take  him  to, ' '  he  said, 

"  Why,  you  idiot!  "  cried  Fatty.  "  Didn't  you 
telephone?    Doctor,  why  can't  we  use  my  car?  " 

The  doctor  glanced  at  the  large  automobile. 

■ '  Just  the  thing !  But  take  this  officer  with  you 
and  drive  your  best.  I  will  go  too.  It  is  a  ride 
for  life  —  the  boy  is  certainly  dying." 

They  lifted  the  unconscious  form  upon  the 
broad  tonneau  seat  where  the  physician  knelt  and 
steadied  it.  Tony  cranked  the  car.  He  leaped  in 
while  the  policeman  sat  beside  him,  and  the 
strange  Scout  clung  like  wax  on  the  step  at  the 
other  side,  his  hand  upon  the  horn. 

' i  Every  second  counts !  ' '  cried  the  doctor. 

; -  Let  her  go  then !  ' '  said  the  policeman  grimly, 
and  the  big  car  shot  from  the  curb  and  went  hum- 
ming into  her  best  pace.     Tony  set  a  straight 


12       THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

course.  The  constant  honk  of  the  horn,  the  po- 
liceman with  lifted  hand,  the  terrific  speed  won 
,  them  the  right  of  way.  They  took  the  last  hill  with 
the  smooth  swiftness  of  a  bird.  Will  slowed  gently 
up  to  the  curb  and  leaped  out  after  the  policeman. 
The  Scout  was  already  at  the  hospital  door. 
White-coated  attendants  hurried  out  with  a 
stretcher  and  took  the  boy  into  the  building. 

For  the  first  time  Fatty  looked  at  the  doctor. 
"  Will  he  die,  doctor?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  do  not  know,"  he  replied.  "  If  he  lives  — 
who  bandaged  that  wrist?  " 

"  I  did,"  said  Fatty,  modestly. 

"  Did  you  fix  his  head  up,  too?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Fatty. 

"  Well,"  said  the  doctor,  "  how  on  earth  does  a 
boy  of  your  size  and  age  —  you  can't  be  over  fif- 
teen or  sixteen  years  of  age  —  how  does  a  boy  of 
that  age  happen  to  know  all  about  surgical  dress- 
ings? " 

"  Why,  I'm  a  Boy  Scout,"  said  Tony.  "  This 
boy  helped.    He's  a  Scout." 

"  Well,  boys,"  said  the  doctor,  "  I  think  you've 
saved  a  life  today,  and  your  organization  ought  to 
be  very  proud  of  you.  Call  and  see  me,  will  you  ? 
I  have  two  sons  who  ought  to  join  the  Scouts." 

He  gave  Fatty  a  card  and  hurried  toward  the 
hospital. 

"  Shall  I  take  you  back,  sir?  "  called  Will. 

"  No;  I'll  send  for  my  own  car  later,  thank 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        13 

you,"  said  the  doctor,  and  hurried  into  the  build- 
ing, just  as  a  policeman  came  out. 

The  officer  walked  up  to  Fatty. 

"  It's  a  nice  day's  work,  I  dunno,"  he  remarked. 
"A  kilt  bye,  and  the  divil  knows  who  done  it,  and 
you  speedin'  t'roo  the  main  streets  holdin'  up 
traffic  just  scandalous,  and  jim  av  the  whole  collec- 
tion—  here  do  be  Officer  O'Bourke  aff  his  beat, 
aff  his  beat,  an'  him  wid  two  marks  against  him 
alriddy.    'Tis  a  fine  day's  job." 

"Well,  get  in  and  we'll  hustle  back,"  said 
Fatty.  "  I  want  to  wash  my  hands.  I'm  all 
sticky.  I  guess  the  poor  kid  will  die  all  right,  but 
we  can't  help  him  here.  My  mother  is  waiting 
for  me.  Get  in,  Scout,"  he  said  to  the  strange  lad 
who  still  lingered. 

"I'm  thinking "  said  the  officer,  with  a  grave 
face  but  a  twinkle  in  his  merry  blue  eyes,  "  that 
you  are  at  this  moment  arristed  for  speedin ' !  And 
I'll  be  takin'  ye  up  to  the  Polees  station." 

Fatty  laughed. 

"  'Tis  no  joke,"  said  O'Eourke.  "  'Tis  there 
we  do  be  goin\" 

"  Why,  you  old  loon,"  cried  Fatty,  "  what's 
eatin'  you?  You  can't  arrest  me  for  saving  life. 
Besides,  you  were  along  —  go  on  back  on  your 
beat  and  shut  up  about  it. ' ' 

"  No,"  said  the  policeman,  "  me  mind  is  made: 
and  the  O'Eourkes  niver  change.  To  the  station 
ye  go !   Will  it  be  peaceable  wid  both  of  ye  or  will 

2 


14        THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE 

I  use  force?  Besides,  did  I  not  like  your  looks, 
I'd  say  ye  was  impident  to  an  officer,  and  I'd  jug 
ye  for  that  same,  extra." 

"  Well,  I  tell  you,"  said  the  exasperated  boy, 
M  my  mother  is  waiting  for  me,  and  I'm  going  to 
see  her  first." 

M  All  fine,"  said  Mr.  O'Eourke.  "  'Tis  mesilf 
will  explain  your  badness  while  you  hould  the 
auttymobile  from  doin'  any  further  damage." 

Arriving  at  the  Alhambra,  the  officer  insisted 
upon  going  in  to  see  Mrs.  Eansier  while  Fatty 
waited  in  the  car  with  the  strange  Scout. 

"  Now  what  ails  that  pinhead  of  a  policeman?  " 
Fatty  inquired. 

"  He's  all  right,"  said  the  boy.  "He  is  not 
really  arresting  us,  but  he  wants  us  to  go  with 
him  and  report  the  affair.  Did  you  see  who  ran 
the  kid  down?  " 

"  I  couldn't  see  the  people,"  said  Will,  "  but 
you  bet  I  took  the  number,  wrote  it  down,  too. 
Gee,  it  was  a  rotten  trick!  Those  men  ought  to 
be  electrocuted  if  that  boy  is  dead.  He  was  on  his 
own  side  of  the  street  and  they  swerved  over  on 
his  side.  It  was  plain  murder.  Of  course  they 
honked,  but  how  could  that  help  ?  ' ' 

"  It 's  fierce !  ' '  said  the  new  boy. 

The  officer  came  out  smiling.  "  'Tis  a  lovely 
lady  entirely  that  your  mother  is,"  he  declared. 
"  I  was  sorry  I  was  to  explain  her  boy's  misdeeds, 
She  seems  to  belave  in  ye  like." 


•    THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        15 

Fatty  grinned  and  started  for  the  Court  House, 
stopping  at  the  side  door  where  the  Chief  of  Police 
was  to  be  found. 

The  two  boys  entered  with  the  officer,  who  mo- 
tioned them  to  a  couple  of  seats  against  the  wall, 
while  he  talked  to  the  Captain. 

"  This  makes  me  sick,"  said  Fatty.  "  What  a 
silly  row  about  nothing !  ' ' 

"  All  they  want  is  to  hear  about  the  accident 
and  all  that,"  said  the  new  boy.  "  I'm  in  here 
often.  My  father  teaches  in  the  Police  Gymna-, 
sium." 

' '  Teaches  f  ' '  said  Fatty.  '  <  Is  he  a  Physical  In- 
structor? "  v 

"  He  teaches  boxing,"  said  the  boy.  "I'm  Kid 
O'Connors'  son." 

"  The  Lightweight!  "  exclaimed  Fatty,  staring 
at  O'Connors.  "  What  do  you  know  about  that? 
Kid  0  'Connors '  boy !  Why,  I  never  knew  he  had 
a  boy !  ' ' 

"  Well,  he  has,"  said  O'Connors,  smiling,  "  and 
I  can  fight,  too;  but  my  father  won't  allow  me  to 
become  a  prize  fighter. ' ' 

"  Gee,  I'd  think  he'd. be  crazy  to  have  you," 
said  Fatty,  enviously.  "  Why,  he's  the  Cham- 
pion Lightweight.  I  never  saw  him  but  I've  read 
about  all  his  matches. ' ' 

"No,"  said  O'Connors,  "he  thinks  I  can  do 
something  better  with  myself.  He  says  there  is 
nothing  to  it  at  all.    You  are  down  and  out  for 


16        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

good  and  all  if  you  get  beaten,  and  yon  are  sure  to 
go  stale  or  get  out  of  condition  somehow  and  get 
*'  your  knockout.  Then  you  are  just  a  has-been ;  do- 
ing a  stunt  on  a  vaudeville  stage,  and  after  that 
tending  bar  somewhere. 

"  He's  right,  all  right,"  continued  O'Connors. 
"  I  don't  want  you  to  think  my  father  is  like  that, 
for  he  isn't.  He's  straight  and  clean;  and  he 
thinks  boxing  is  an  art.  "Why,  you  could  not  get 
him  to  booze  or  smoke.  My  father  is  a  man,  if  he 
is  a  prize  fighter.  I  hope  I  can  be  as  good  and 
straight  as  he  is." 

"  That's  it,"  said  Fatty.  "  I  should  think  he 
would  like  to  have  you  go  in  and  elevate  the  pro- 
fession." 

"  No,"  said  O'Connors.  "  You  can't  elevate  it, 
my  father  says.  One  fellow  will  be  straight,  and  a 
lot  of  the  others  will  be  so  rotten  that  there  is  no 
show  for  straight  work.  You'll  laugh  when  I  tell 
you,  it  does  seem  funny  for  a  prize  fighter 's  kid, 
but  I'm  going  to  be  a  doctor." 

"  Good  work!  "  said  Fatty,  who  was,  however, 
rather  disappointed  in  the  aims  of  his  new  friend. 

"Well,  it's  like  this:  I've  had  the  uses  and 
abuses  and  the  care  of  the  human  body  dinned  into 
me  ever  since  I  can  remember,  and  if  I  can't  use 
my  knowledge  to  fight  with,  I'm  going  to  put  more 
learning  of  the  right  sort  with  it  and  fight  diseases. 

w*  Jiminy  Christmas,  how  I  hate  sickness  — - 
and  dirt,  too.     Say,  did  you  ever  see  anything 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        17 

prettier  than  shin  when  it's  clean?    It's  great!  " 

"  Well,  you  are  a  good  one!"  said  Fatty. 
"  What  do  they  call  you?  " 

"  Fellows  call  me  Chuck,"  said  the  boy. 
*'  What's  your  name?  " 

"  William  and  then  some  Ransier,"  said  the 
owner  of  the,  name ; '  *  but  all  the  boys  call  me  Fatty 
because  I'm  so  thin.  Gee,  it  makes  me  mad!  I'd 
like  a  little  meat  here  and  there  just  for  a  sam- 
ple." 

"  You  need  some  sort  of  exercises,  maybe," 
said  Chuck.  "  Well  ask  father.  The  Captain 
wants  us  now. ' ' 

They  went  to  the  Captain's  desk  and  stood  at 
attention. 

"  Did  you  get  that  number?  "  the  officer  asked. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  Fatty. 

"  A  raysourceful  mind,"  murmured  O'Rowrke. 
"  Your  papa  will  be  that  plazed." 

"  You  saw  it  all,  did  you?  "  continued  the  Cap- 
tain.  "  Tell  me  the  whole  thing." 

Fatty  pr  ceeded  to  give  a  clear  account  of  the 
affair  while  the  Police  Captain  frowned  and 
tapped  the  desk  with  his  pencil. 

When  Fatty  ended  he  said : 

"  Well,  my  boy,  you  may  have  saved  a  life  to- 
day, and  your  promptness  in  noting  that  car  num- 
ber may  put  us  on  track  of  the  brutes.  This  sort 
of  thing  is  occurring  too  often.  If  those  fellows 
were  not  msmg  a  fake  number  we  will  catch  them 


18        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

and  they  may  have  a  charge  of  murder  against 
i  them.  I  wish  we  had  another  witness.  Well, 
that's  all  today,  Eansier.  What  are  yon  going  to 
do  now  ?  ? ' 

1 '  Go  and  wash  my  hands, ' '  said  Fatty,  smiling. 

1  {  Go  into  the  gymnasium, ! '  said  the  Captain. 
"  O'Connors,  yon  know  the  way." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  the  boy;  and  bidding  the  Cap- 
tain good-bye,  they  crossed  the  big,  bare  room, 
went  down  a  short  corridor  and  entered  the  gym- 
nasium. 

For  a  moment  Fatty  looked  about  him  in  de- 
light ;  then  his  gaze  was  centered  on  a  pair  in  the 
boxing  ring  near  them. 

A  soft,  fat,  bandy-legged  youth  in  tights  was 
hopping  heavily  around  Kid  O'Connors,  answer* 
ing  his  commands  with  the  weak,  haphazard 
thrusts  with  a  pair  of  fat,  red  arms,  upon  which 
the  flesh  shook  like  jelly. 

Fatty  smothered  a  roar  of  laughter  and  seized 
Chuck  by  the  arm. 

"  Oh,  mamma,  mamma,"  he  whispered,  "  isn't 
that  just  lovely  f    Why,  it's  the  Carroll  kid  I  " 


CHAPTER  II 

SAVED  BY  A  HAIE 

"Yes,  that's  CarroU;  Mr.  Clement  Carroll/" 
said  Chuck.  "  Isn't  he  a  mess?  "Where  did  you 
see  him  f  ' ' 

* '  He  lives  where  I  do, ' '  said  Fatty.  l i  Gee, ' '  he 
added,  at  once  forgetting  the  fat  lad  lumbering 
about,  "  Gee,  is  that  your  father?  Isn't  he  a 
peach?    I'd  like  to  know  him!  " 

Into  Fatty's  active  brain  flashed  a  picture  of 
himself  going  back  to  Lafayette,  and  saying  in  a 
careless  way,  "  I  was  talking  to  Kid  O'Connors 
the  other  day."    How  the  fellows  would  rave! 

'"  That's  easy,"  said  Chuck.  He  liked  Fatty 
and  he  told  himself  that  he  was  the  real  thing. 

Chuck  piloted  Fatty  into  the  clean,  big  lava- 
tory where  a  dozen  shower  baths  invited  cleanli- 
ness on  the  part  of  the  force. 

When  Fatty  had  finished  scrubbing  his  hands, 
the  boys  came  out  and  met  Kid  O'Connors,  who 
had  just  ended  the  lesson  with  the  panting  Carroll. 

"  Father,"  said  Chuck,  "  I  want  to  make  you 
acquainted  with  Will  Eansier.  We  did  a  little 
Scout  work  together  this  morning.  At  least  he 
did  it,  and  I  tagged  along. ' ' 

"  Nothing  of  the  sort,  Mr.  O'Connors!  "  said 
Fatty  awkwardly. 

19 


20        THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE 


Hi.' 

Kid  O'Connors,  with  a  boyish  smile,  extended 
his  hand,  still  warm  from  the  padded  glove,  and 
grasped  Fatty's  lean  fist  in  what  was  meant  for  e 
friendly  grip. 

Fatty  bore  it  like  a  hero  in  silence ;  but  his  heart 
turned  over  and  his  bones  cracked.  He  heard  the 
Kid  say  in  a  gentle,  low  voice : 

"  Proper  pleased  to  meet  yon,  Mr.  Eansier/ 
and  then  he  found  that  his  hand  was  still  alive.  He 
put  it  carelessly  behind  him  and  wagged  it  feebly 
He  guessed  he  would  not  put  this  in  when  he  tola 
the  boys  in  Lafayette.  They  wouldn't  be  inter- 
ested. 

Chuck  began  t6  give  his  father  an  account  of 
the  affair  of  the  morning  and  Fatty  stood  watch- 
ing the  perfect  body  before  him.  The  Kid  stood 
with  his  arms  folded,  hugging  himself  like  a 
boy.  His  skin  was  as  smooth  and  fair  and  shining 
as  pink  marble.  There  were  no  ugly  lumpy 
muscles;  just  a  beautiful  ripple  under  the  silky 
skin  when  he  changed  position.  He  was  light  on 
his  feet  as  a  deer ;  and  quicker  than  a  cat  when  he 
moved.  His  deep-set,  brown  eyes  were  keen  and 
sharp,  yet  kindly ;  his  short,  black  hair  covered  a 
well-shaped  head;  but  he  bore  one  disfiguring 
mark  of  his  trade,  a  "  tin  ear  M  puffy  and  out  of 
shape. 

"  That  was  a  good  day's  work,  and  I'm  glad 
Charlie  was  there  to  help  a  bit.  Hope  we'll  see 
somethin'  of  you.  Come  in  any  time.  Do  you 
box!  " 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        21 

"  No,  I  do  not,"  said  Fatty,  sadly.    "  There  is 
not  enough  of  me  to  stand  up  before  a  fellow.    It 
wouldn  't  be  fair.    I  'm  so  thin  he  couldn  't  hit  me. ' ' 
The  Kid  laughed. 

"  You  are  thin;  too  thin.    Are  you  well!  " 
"  Tough  as  a  nut,"  Fatty  assured  him. 
"  Well,  I  jolly  well  know  there's  some  way  to 
broaden  you,"  said  the  Kid.     "  We  might  ex- 
periment with  him  a  bit,  Charlie.     Do  you  eat 
much?  " 

"  Yes,  a  good  deal,"  Fatty  assured  him;  then 
he  stood  staring  at  Charlie.  "  Say,"  he  de- 
manded suddenly,  "  when  did  you  eat  last?  " 

"  Not  since  breakfast,"  said  Charlie  with  a  grin. 
"  I  forgot  all  about  it." 

"  So  did. I,"  said  Fatty.  "  And  if  I  get  any 
thinner,  I  won't  be  here  at  all.  Come  on  with  me 
and  let's  eat.    Will  you  come,  Mr.  O'Connors!  »\ 

"  No,  thank  you,"  said  the  boxer,  smiling  his 
gentle  smile.  ' '  I  had  my  proper  dinner  at  noon. '  \ 
°  He  said  good-bye  to  the  boys  and  did  not  offer 
to  shake  hands  with  Fatty,  a  fact  that  relieved 
that  young  man. 

The  boys  walked  quickly  up  the  street. 
"  Say,"  said  Fatty,  "  I  believe  that  is  the  first 
time  in  my  life  that  I  ever  forgot  to  eat.    What 
will  we  do;  go  to  a  regular  feed  joint  or  a  Balti- 
more? " 

"  Baltimore,"  said  Charlie  promptly.    "  They; 

are  so  clean. ' ' 


22        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

Tke  boys  went  into  the  first  Baltimore  lunch 
that  they  came  to,  and  while  they  ate  two  chicken 
pot  pies  apiece, —  to  say  nothing  of  rolls  and  milk 
and  cnstard  pie  and  baked  apples  (they  agreed 
that  it  was  too  near  dinner  time  to  eat  much)  — 
they  talked  over  the  events  of  the  day. 

After  their  meal  the  boys  walked  back  to  the 
Court  House  where  they  parted,  Charlie  going  in 
to  wait  for  his  father,  and  Fatty  driving  the  big 
car  back  to  the  apartment  where  he  gave  Peters 
a  tip,  and  spent  the  rest  of  the  afternoon  on  the 
divan  beside  his  mother  telling  her  about  it. 

"  Gosh,  Mumsy,  he  was  so  limp  and  bloody.  I 
hated  to  touch  him,  but  Chuck  waded  right  in." 

"  How  awful!  "  cried  Mrs.  Eansier,  shaking 
her  curly  head.  A  twinkle  came  into  her  eyes. 
! '  Will,  dear,  suppose  it  had  been  a  girl !  ' ' 

"  Girl !  "  cried  Fatty,  horrified  as  he  thought  of 
his  handling  of  the  unconscious  boy.  "  Girl! 
What  puts  such  awful  things  into  your  head? 
Why,  if  it  had  been  a  girl,  I'd  have  yelled  for  you. 
Of  course  I  wouldn't  have  touched  her." 

Mrs.  Eansier  laughed.  "  My  dear,  I  wish  you 
had  a  sister,"  she  said.  "  It  is  a  great  shame  to 
have  you  so  afraid  of  girls. '  j 

"I'm  not  afraid  of  'em!  "  cried  Fatty.  "I 
just  don't  like  'em;  they  get  my  goat  every  time. 
If  they  would  ever  stop  their  crazy  giggling;  and 
they  wiggle  so ;  and  they  walk  so  awkward  and 
wobbly  on  those  high  heels.    I'll  bet  my  life  you 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE        23 

were  never  like  that.    Girls  must  have  changed.' ' 

Mrs.  Eansier  laughed  and  tickled  Fatty's  nose 
with  her  fluffy  hair.    Fatty  laughed  too. 

"  Mums,  you  are  such  a  peach,' '  he  said. 

i  i  Will, ' '  said  Mrs.  Eansier,  ' '  what  if  a  girl  did 
that?  " 

Fatty  bounced  off  the  divan.    He  glared. 

"  Did  that,"  he  growled,  "  did  that?  Well,  I'll 
tell  you  what  I'd  do.  I'd  just  walk  off  so  quick  she 
couldn't  see  me  for  the  dust.  Honest,  mother,  I 
don't  see  what  puts  such  crazy  ideas  into  your 
head." 

Mrs.  Eansier  still  laughed.  "Never  mind, 
dearest,"  she  said,  "I'll  not  let  anyone  get  you. 
Now  go  telephone  Mrs.  Keene  and  ask  if  we  shall 
come  out  there  to-morrow. ' ' 

Mrs.  Keene  was  delighted  to  have  them  come, 
and  Sunday  afternoon  they  made  the  eight-mile 
run  to  Lafayette,  and  Mrs.  Keene  and  Mrs.  Ean- 
sier planned  for  the  new  apartment  in  town,  and 
Mr.  Eansier  went  down  and  had  a  long  talk  with 
Mr.  Smith,  during  which  Fred's  ear  must  have 
burned,  because  his  name  was  so  often  spoken.  At 
the  close  of  the  confab  Mr.  Eansier  handed  Mr. 
Smith  a  check,  filled  out  nice  and  fat,  and  Mr. 
Smith  put  it  in  his  pocket  rather  reluctantly,  and 
said,  "  Well,  my  boy,  if  you  want  to  do  this,  all 
right,  but  you  are  not  called  upon  to. ' ' 

And  Mr.  Eansier  said,  "  That's  all  right,  Mr, 
Smith.    She  will  take  it  from  you  and  if  we  can 


24        THE  BOY  SCOUTS  '  DEFIANCE 


save  that  fine  boy,  what  does  it  matter  who  does 
it  1    Vm  mighty  proud  to  be  allowed  to  help. ' ' 

In  the  Keene  barn  about  twenty  of  the  Lafay- 
ette Scouts  were  gathered. 

Fatty  and  Tony  and  Foxy  Peck  sat  in  a  row  on 
the  feed  box  and  Spider  Morrison  filled  the  wheel- 
barrow while  Geezer  Eeed  sat  all  over  the  peck 
measure.  The  other  boys  sat  on  the  floor  and  on 
boxes  or  leaned  against  the  wall. 

i  Fatty  told  them  about  the  accident,  and  led  up 
quite  easily  to  meeting  Kid  0  'Connors. 

"  Fat  wath  alwayth  the  lucky  one,"  sighed 
Spider.    ' '  He  wath  born  tho. ' ' 

"  Perhaps  I  was;  but  I  wasn't  born  hungry, 
anyhow,"  declared  Fatty.  "  What  you  eatin', 
Spider?  " 

1 l  Nuthin '  but  an  athparagus  tip, ' '  said  Spider. 

"  That's  so,"  said  Slinky  Mott.  "  He  eats  'em 
right  out  of  the  garden  raw. ' ' 

"  Thath's  all  right,"  said  Spider.  "  It  dosth 
to  path  away  the  time." 

"  Well,  boys,"  continued  Fatty,  "  you'd  ought 
to  see  Kid  O'Connors  close  up  the  way  I  did.  Say, 
he's  a  lollypalluza !  He's  got  the  best  shoulders 
you  ever  squinted  at,  and  a  hide  like  a  baby. ' ' 

Spider  giggled.  "  Hide  ith  good, ' '  he  remarked 
to  the  asparagus  stalk. 

"  Well,  epidermis,  then,  you  old  goat!  Guess  I 
know;  he's  a  peach  and  you  want  to  see  him. 
And   there's    that   boy   of   his  —  he's   a   peach, 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        25 

too;  but  to  think  of  all  the  advantages  he's  got, 
and  he's  going  to  be  a  doctor.  Isn't  that  the 
limit?  " 

"  It  thertainly  ith,"  agreed  Spider,  whose 
father  was  a  physician  with  a  country  practice 
which  took  him  for  thirty  and  forty-mile  drives 
over  hopeless  roads.  "  But  we  can't  all  be  prithe 
fighters. ' ' 

"  You  don't  want  to  call  it  that  to  Chuck," 
warned  Fatty.  ' '  I  noticed  that  he  always  speaks 
of  it  as  i  boxing. '  ' ' 

"  "Well,  you  fellows  all  want  to  come  out.  I'll 
fix  it  somehow  so  you  can  see  him.  I  tell  you,  he 's 
the  real  article.  It's  getting  late  —  I've  got  to 
get  my  folks  and  start." 

The  boys  howled  at  Fatty's  air  of  importance, 
and  yelled  good-bye  as  the  automobile  slid  down 
the  hill  and  out  of  sight. 

Two  days  later  0  'Kourke  appeared  at  the  Han- 
dier apartment. 

"  Special  jooty  I'm  on,  lady,"  he  said,  bowing 
to  the  pretty  woman  who  greeted  him.  "  'Tis 
your  son  I'm  after  on  a  charrge  of  'sault  and 
battry.  'Tis  himself  do  be  thumpin'  me  on  the 
back  whin  we  meet  and  infringin'  on  the  dignity, 
an'  me  office.  To  be  tellin'  the  truth,  which  is  not 
so  plisant,  'tis  the  poor  little  lad  at  the  hospital 
we  do  be  goin '  to  see  —  Mister  Will  an '  me.  He 's 
sinsible;  but  he  do  be  dyin',  may  God  keep  his 
sowl.     They  are  goin'  to  have  him  tell  what  he 


26        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 


knows  about  the  accident,  more 's  the  pity.  Mesilf , 
.I'd  lit  him  pass  in  peace,  but  'tis  the  law,  and 
they've  got  the  brutes  what  done  it,  houldin'  them 
without  bail  in  two  nate,  clane  cells  wid  no  rugs  to 
skuff  up.  So  we  're  aff  up  there  to  see  him  on  his 
bed  o'  pain;  and  'tis  no  plisant  job.  I'd  like  to 
clane  out  a  Wells  street  saloon  on  election  eve  best 
like ;  but  no  matter. ' ' 

"  Oh,  I'm  so  sorry,"  cried  little  Mrs.  Eansier. 
■"  Could  I  help,  do  you  think?  Where  is  his 
mother?  " 

"  None,"  said  O'Eourke.  "  Come,  then,  why 
don't  ye,  swate  lady?  Belike  'twill  soothe  his 
passin'  do  you  but  hold  his  lonesome  little  hand." 

"  Call  the  automobile,  Will,"  cried  Mrs.  Ean- 
sier, hurrying  to  get  her  cloak  and  veil. 

On  their  way  to  the  hospital,  O'Rourke  gave 
Mrs.  Eansier  a  history  of  the  dying  child.  His 
-only  relation  was  an  uncle  whose  coarse,  scolding 
wife  resented  the  care  of  a  child  which  did  not  be* 
long  to  her.  He  earned  good  wages,  however,  as 
messenger  boy,  so  was  allowed  to  stay  in  the 
house.  But  life,  according  to  tender-hearted 
O  'Eourke,  was  but  a  hard  thing  to  the  frail  boy. 
Now  he  was  dying. 

;■"  Perhaps  better  so,"  said  the  policeman 
huskily;  "  but  I  wish  now  I'd  bespoke  him  more 
kindly  once  and  again." 

The  little  fellow  was  a  very  pitiful  sight.  He 
had  lapsed  again  into  unconsciousness  and  the 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        27 

lawyer,  sitting  at  the  foot  of  the  high,  narrow  cot, 
held  his  pen  in  readiness  if  he  should  respond  to 
the  restoratives. 

Slipping  out  of  her  coat,  Mrs.  Eansier  ap- 
proached. The  nurse  was  stooping  to  administer  a 
hypodermic.  "  There!  "  she  said.  "  It  seems  a 
shame  to  trouble  him  —  he  won't  rally." 

"  He  may,"  said  the  doctor.  "  He  simply 
makes  no  effort  to  rally. ' ' 

The  boy's  eyes  opened  slowly  and  fixed  them- 
selves upon  Mrs.  Eansier.  "  John,"  said  the  doc- 
tor, ' '  tell  me  how  you  got  hurt. ' ' 

The  lad  struggled  to  speak,  then  without  a 
sound  closed  his  eyes. 

"  No  use,"  said  the  doctor.  "  He  hasn't  the 
strength  or  will  to  talk,  and  we  can't  give  it  to 
him.    They'll  have  to  settle  the  case  without  him. ' ' 

"  I  think  he  will  live,"  said  Mrs.  Eansier  sud- 
denly. "  Will  you  let  me  try,  please!  I  can  do 
no  harm. ' ' 

"  No,  you  cannot  hurt  him,"  said  the  doctor. 
"  What  will  you  do?  " 

"  Mother  him,"  said  little  Mrs.  Eansier, 
fiercely.  She  flung  her  pretty  hat  away  from  her. 
It  hit  the  lawyer  and  he  held  it  respectfully  in  one 
hand  while  he  watched  the  lovely  face  bend  ten- 
derly above  the  pillow. 

"  John,"  she  said,  "  John,  dear!  "  Again  the 
eyes  opened  and  gazed  deep  into  hers. 

1  '  When  did  I  die  ?  "  asked  the  boy  slowly. 


28        THE  BOY  SCOUTS7  DEFIANCE 

"  You  are  alive,' '  said  Mrs.  Eansier,  softly 
kneeling  by  the  bed  and  slipping  an  arm  beneath 
his  head.  There  was  a  long  silence.  Mrs.  Eansier 
closely  held  his  hands. 

"  Aren't  you  an  angel?  "  he  asked,  finally. 

' '  No,  dear, ' '  she  breathed. 

"  I  must  toe  dead,"  he  persisted.  "  No  one  on 
earth  loves  me  like  this,  and  I'm  so  cold." 

The  nurse  slipped  away  and  returned  with  sev- 
eral hot  water  bottles  which  she  put  about  him, 
and  a  hot  drink  which  he  took  from  Mrs.  Ean- 
sier's  hand,  swallowing  it  painfully. 

"  Tell  us  how  you  got  hurt,  John,"  persisted 
the  doctor. 

"  No,"  said  Mrs.  Eansier,  "  John  doesn't  feel 
like  talking  now. ' ' 

*  *  I  'd  like  to  talk  to  you, ' '  said  the  boy,  wistfully. 
"  If  you  are  not  an  angel,  I  might  die  and  then  I'd 
never  see  you  any  more.  Your  arm  feels  so  good 
under  my  head. ' ' 

"  Yes,  dear.  I  won't  take  it  away.  I'll  just 
hold  you  tight  and  you  are  going  to  get  well." 

There  was  a  long  silence.  The  room  was  very 
still.  Bead  by  bead  a  rosary  slipped  through  the 
big,  trembling  hands  of  Policeman  0  'Eourke  as  he 
said  his  prayers,  with  all  the  warmth  of  his  simple 
soul,  for  the  child  upon  the  bed  and  the  beautiful 
woman  beside  it. 

The  nurse  stepped  noiselessly  here  and  there. 
The  doctor  kept  a  light,  practiced  finger  upon  the 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        29 

fluttering  pulse.  Fatty,  face  to  face  for  the  first 
time  with  death,  felt  his  heart  beat  thickly  and  his 
mouth  go  dry.  The  hat  in  the  lawyer's  left  hand 
grew  heavier  and  heavier,  but  he  did  not  dare  to 
put  it  down.  Again  the  heavy  eyes  opened  and 
looked  long  at  Mrs.  Eansier.  She  held  him. 
*  *  John,  you  must  live, ' '  she  said  softly  — ' l  you 
must  live:  you  must  live." 

u  I'm  so  tired,  and  I  hurt  so,"  the  boy  replied. 

"  You  will  get  well  and  you  shall  go  into  the 
beautiful  country  to  rest,"  she  promised  him. 
tt  There  is  a  hammock  under  the  trees,  and  you 
shall  live  there  until  you  are  so  strong  that  you 
will  want  to  jump  and  run  and  play  about.  And 
there  are  dogs  out  there,  John,  big,  beautiful  dogs 
that  like  boys  and  want  to  romp  with  them.  And 
there  is  a  soft  bed  for  you  at  night.  ?  ■ 

The  boy  listened.  She  seemed  to  be  dreaming 
him  back  to  earth. 

"  How  will  I  get  money  to  pay  my  board?  "  he 
asked  feebly. 

"  Oh,  you  won't  need  to  pay  board,"  she  as- 
sured him.  "  You  are  going  to  a  house  that  be- 
longs to  me.  My  sister  lives  there,  and  she  needs 
a  boy  to  take  care  of  her  because  her  boy  died  long 
ago,  and  she  is  very  lonely. ' ' 

"  Is  she  like  you?  "  asked  the  boy. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  soft  voice,  "  only  nicer.  You 
will  love  her.  And  I  need  you  dreadfully  too,  be- 
cause those  are  my  dogs,  and  now  there  is  no  one 


30        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

to  play  with  them.  There  are  ever  so  many  nice 
boys  there,  too;  and  you  will  have  such  good 
times  together.  Just  think:  all  those  dogs,  and 
the  hammock  under  the  trees,  and  the  country  and 
the  green  grass.  You  must  live,  John.  Will  you 
try  f    John,  will  you  try  f  or  me  ?  '  ' 

"  I  do  hurt  so,"  came  the  feeble  voice. 
"  I  know,"  she  said,  "  but  you  are  so  brave. 
You  will  stand  the  hurt,  will  you  not?    You  will 
try,  won't  you,  John!  " 

There  was  another  long,  long  pause. 
The  nurse  left  the  room. 

Again  the  boy  opened  his  eyes  and  looked  long 
at  Mrs.  Ransier. 

"  Yes,  I'll  try,"  he  said,  sighing.  "  But  I  am 
awful,  awful  tired.  I  think  I  would  go  to  sleep  if 
—  do  you  think  — would  you  mind—  "  He  was 
afraid  to  say  it.  But  people  close  to  death,  even 
poor  little  messenger  boys  dare  greatly  — "  I 
want  you  to  kiss  me,"  he  whispered. 

She  bent  ber  bright  head  and  kissed  his  pale, 
childish  lips. 

"  Go  to  sleep,  dear,"  she  said,  "  I  will  not  go 
away." 

His  eyes  closed.  The  room  was  silent.  In 
O'Rourke's  big  hands  the  beads  still  dropped  one 
by  one.  Two  big  tears  coursed  down  his  weather- 
beaten  cheeks.  His  eyes  rested  upon  Mrs.  Ransier 
as  upon  a  saint.  The  lawyer,  rising,  tiptoed  from 
the  room,  still  holding  the  pretty  hat.    The  boy 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        31 

slept  peacefully,  and  the  doctor,  releasing  the  thin 
wrist,  presently  went  around  and  gently  lifted  the 
boy  so  that  Mrs.  Bansier  could  arise.  Beckoning 
her  to  follow,  he^stepped  into  the  hall.  She  went 
noiselessly,  followed  by  Fatty  and  0  'Bourke. 

The  doctor  took  her  hand. 

"  Dear  lady,"  he  said,  "  the  child's  life  is 
yours ;  for  you  have  saved  him. f ' 

"  I  am  so  glad,  so  glad,"  she  said  simply,  and 
turned  to  Fatty.  He  put  his  arms  about  her.  He 
could  never  tell  her  how  he  adored  her. 

' '  My  own,  own  mother !  ' '  he  whispered,  and 
kissing  her,  turned  and  followed  0 'Bourke  while 
Mrs.  Eansier  returned  to  the  sick  boy. 

When  Fatty  and  the  policeman  reached  the  side- 
walk, 0  'Bourke  shoved  the  beads  he  still  held  into 
his  pocket,  stepped  up  to  Fatty  and  deliberately 
shook  him. 

"  Belave  me,"  he  said  when  that  was  done, 
* l  whativer  manner  av  a  sort  ye  are,  ye  are  no  fit 
son  for  such  as  her.  An'  ye  can  smoke  that,  for 
'tis  truth  I'm  tellin'." 

"  You  don't  have  to  shake*  me,"  said  Fatty 
savagely.    ' '  I  guess  I  know  it  myself. ' ' 

"  Then  'tis  well  ye  know  it,"  said  0 'Bourke. 
"  'Twill  save  me  much  care  an'  trouble  teachin* 
ye,  for  'tis  the  wan  thing  in  life  that  I  feel  ye 
should  know." 


CHAPTER   III 

THE  CAEEOLLS  COME  IN 

For  a  week,  Mrs.  Eansier  spent  most  of  her 
time  at  the  hospital.  Slowly  and  surely  she  drew 
John  back  from  death.  Just  mothered  him  back 
the  doctors  and  nurses  said. 

Mr.  Eansier  and  Fatty,  left  largely  to  their 
own  devices,  found  what  an  awful  botch  life  was 
without  their  little,  laughing  lady.,  Mr.  Ransier 
clung  to  Fatty  and  they  had  long  walks  and  talks 
together.  Fatty  took  his  father  to  the  Police 
Gymnasium,  where  he  met  Kid  O'Connors,  and 
not  only  arranged  to  have  Fatty  take  boxing  les- 
sons, but  commenced  taking  them  himself.  "  In 
self-defense,"  he  said.  "  For  fear  I  might  have 
to  lick  Will." 

To  Fatty's  delight,  Mr.  Ransier  liked  Kid 
O'Connors,  and  took  a  great  fancy  to  his  son, 
whom  he  declared* to  be  a  fine  fellow.  He  never 
tired  of  seeing  the  two  soft,  pink,  fat  Carrolls 
take  their  boxing  lessons.  Fatty,  however,  was 
afraid  of  apoplexy.  His  father  had  such  serious 
snorting,  choking  times,  hiding  his  amusement. 
The  Carrolls  were  too  conceited  and  took  them- 
selves too  seriously  to  dream  that  anything  that 
they  would  do  could  be  funny,  and  pranced  and 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        33 

lunged  and  slapped  in  the  direction  of  their 
teacher,  but  never  coming  within  a  foot  of  him. 
Once  in  a  while  he  smacked  them  smartly,  and  they 
strutted  around  feeling  that  that  indeed  was  a 
real  boxing  match. 

They  invited  Fatty  to  have  a  go  but  he  said  that 
he  was  only  allowed  to  box  with  his  teacher  . 

Charlie  never  dared  put  on  the  gloves  with 
either  one.  He  said  he  knew  that  he'd  hurt  him. 
So  the  two  Carrolls,  talking  it  over,  decided  that 
everybody  was  afraid  of  them  and  called  to  each 
other's  notice  how  seldom  the  Kid  landed  on 
either  little,  pink  nose  or  round  chin. 

* f  We  have  too  much  science  for  him, ' '  declared 
Clement.  "  Did  you  notice  the  other  day,  De- 
Forest,  when  he  came  at  me  with  a  left  hander, 
how  I  stopped  him  with  my  right  and  jolted  him 
on  the  jaw  with  my  left!  Then  I  danced  back  and 
left  him  when  he  tried  to  return." 

"  It  was  great,"  said  DeForest  proudly.  "  I  did 
some  nice  clean  work  the  other  day,  too,  when  I 
backed  him  into  the  ropes.  He  can't  get  used  to 
my  rushes !  ' '  and  DeForest  gazed  proudly  at  the 
beautifully  creased  trousers  enclosing  the  wonder- 
ful legs  that  did  such  great  work. 

At  home,  Kid  O'Connors  would  declare  with  a 
^roan  that  the  Carroll  money  was  the  hardest  that 
he  earned.  "  I  would  like  to  just  pat  them  all  I 
wanted  for  five  minutes.  Not  to  hurt  them,  but 
just  show  them  what  real  quick  work  is. ' ' 


34        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

"  Oh,  go  on,  father,  do  it,"  urged  Charlie.  "  I 
think  you  onght  to ;  they  are  so  conceited.  Honest, 
it  would  do  them  good!  Do  it,  and  wait  until 
^  Fatty  and  I  are  there.    Oh,  it  will  be  a  circus !  " 

"  "Why,  Charlie!  I  never  saw  you  wish  your 
father  to  do  a  mean  thing  before,"  objected  Mrs. 
O'Connors.    "It's  not  like  you." 

"  "Well,  mamma,"  said  Charlie,  "  you  don't 
know  the  Carrolls :  if  you  did  you  would  think  I 
was  wishing  them  mighty  good  luck.  They  are  a 
pair  of  fools.  You  know,  father,  they  don't  know 
that  Will  has  any  money,  and  as  a  result,  they 
have  no  use  for  him.  They  suspected  when  the 
big  automobile  came,  but  Will  told  them  he  was 
running  it  for  a  relative.  It  does  belong  to  a  rel- 
ative :  Will 's  father.  Why,  you  know  how  high- 
headed  they  are  at  the  gym.  Just  you  wait! 
Some  day  I'm  going  to  tell  them  that  the  Eansiers 
have  so  much  money  that  they  eat  off  gold  plates : 
and  then  you  watch  the  fun !  ' ' 

Before  Charlie  could  get  the  chance  that  he  was 
waiting  for,  Tony  came  to  the  city  and  Charlie 
was  duly  introduced.  The  boys  took  to  each  other 
and  the  three  planned  many  a  good  time  for  the 
summer.  One  day  Fatty,  fishing  in  his  pocket, 
drew  out  a  crumpled  card.  i  i  That's  the  card  that 
doctor  gave  me  the  day  John  was  hurt.  Tony,  I 
never  noticed  his  name;  it's  Carroll,"  he  said. 

"Why,  yes:  he's  Clement's  and  DeForest's 
father.    Didn't  you  know?  " 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE        35 

"  Great  Scott,  he  can't  be!  "  exclaimed  Fatty. 
"  He's  never  with  them." 

i  i  Well,  I  don 't  think  that  is  queer, ' '  said  Char- 
lie. i  l  See  the  way  it  is,  Mrs.  Carroll  is  an  awful 
swell,  and  the  boys  take  after  her,  and  Dr.  Car- 
roll is  just  a  plain,  smart  doctor.  I  guess  they  dis- 
courage the  doctor  a  good  deal.  He  wants  them 
to  be  Boy 'Scouts.  Don't  you  remember  what  he 
said  that  day?  " 

"  Gee,  they  would  be  ornamental  all  right," 
said  Fatty. 

"  Would  they  like  to  come  in?  " 

11  Ask  them  and  see,"  advised  Chuck:  and 
Fatty,  who  was  always  in  earnest,  did  so  the  next 
time  they  met. 

"  Certainly  not!  "  said  Clement  and  DeForest 
in  one  breath.  "  Very  common  sort  of  an  organ- 
ization !  Such  a  mixed  class  in  it.  You  have  all 
sorts,  really!  " 

Fatty  turned  red. 

M  No,  not  all  sorts,"  he  said.  "  There  are  no 
fools  or  idiots, ' '  and  walked  off. 

"  Funny  remark,"  said  Clement  to  DeForest. 
Clement  always  spoke  first.  He  had  less  nose,  less 
chin  and  was  redder  and  fatter  than  his  brother. 

' '  Deuced  funny !  ' '  agreed  DeForest.  l '  But  I 
don't  think  that  he  is  particularly  bright.  I  don't 
think  he  caught  the  idea  at  all  when  we  spoke  of 
it  as  being  very  mixed. '  ■ 

"  Probably  not,"  said  Clement. 


36        THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE 

It  was  a  day  or  two  later  when  Charlie  found 
his  chance.  He  was  at  the  gym  watching  his 
father  grimly  nurse  DeForest  along  through  the 
lesson.  Strange  to  say,  Clement  came  out  in  a 
gorgeous  bathrobe  and  sat  beside  him. 

"  When  have  you  seen  Ransier?  "  asked 
Charlie. 

"  Really  I  don't  know,"  said  Clement  in  a 
bored  tone.  "  You  see  we  do  not  know  the  same 
people  at  all.  I  never  meet  him  socially.  He  is  a 
great  friend  of  yours,  is  he  not?  " 

"  You  bet  he  is!  "  said  Charlie.  "  Funny  how 
queer  he  is  about  money!  " 

M  How's  that?  "  said  Clement.  "  Sensitive 
about  not  having  much,  I  suppose  —  poor  fel- 
low! " 

"  Not  quite,' '  said  Charlie.  "  The  fact  is,  his 
father  has  so  much  money  that  they  simply  don't 
know  how  to  spend  it.  They  own  half  the  oil  wells 
in  Virginia.  Mr.  Ransier  has  just  ordered  two 
new  automobiles,  an  electric  for  Mrs.  Ransier,  and 
a  big  runabout  for  Will.  Will  has  twice  as  much 
money  given  him  as  he  can  spend ;  and  I  never  saw 
anyone  so  generous,  but  he'll  never  forgive  you  if 
you  speak  of  money  to  him.  He's  awful  funny 
about  it ' ' 

Clement 's  round,  red  mouth  hung  open. 

"  For  gracious  goodness'  sake!  "  he  remarked. 

"  Sure  thing!  "  said  Charlie.  "  Now  he  likes 
you  and  DeForest  like  the  deuce,  but  if  he  thought 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE        37 

you  liked  him  for  his  money,  he'd  never  speak  to 
you.  They  are  real  swells,  too, —  they  have  a 
coat-of -arms  as  big  as  a  platter. ' ' 

"  Goodness,  gracious  me!  "  said  Clement.  He 
shut  his  round,  red  mouth.  "  DeForest  is 
through, ' '  he  said.  u  I  '11  go  help  him  dress, ' '  and 
hurried  off. 

One  day,  a  week  later,  Fatty  hurried  into  the 
gym  with  his  eyes  nearly  as  round  as  the  Car- 
rolls  '.  He  looked  anxiously  behind  him,  then  hur- 
ried over  where  Chuck  and  Tony  were  watching 
a  practice  bout. 

Fatty  threw  himself  down  with  a  force  that 
made  the  bench  crack. 

"  Say,  did  you  hear  that,  fellows?  Gee,  I'm 
getting  hefty,  I  tell  you!  Didn't  know  I  could 
break  the  furniture !  " 

"  You  seem  in  a  big  hurry,"  said  Tony. 
"  'Fraid  we'd  get  away?  " 

"  No,"  said  Fatty,  frowning.  "  Fact  is,  boys, 
I'm  worried.  I  don't  know  what's  the  matter: 
but  it's  straight  goods  that  if  I  had  a  nice,  juicy 
bone  in  my  pocket,  those  two  little  Carroll  pups 
couldn't  stick  tighter  to  my  heels  than  they  have 
lately.  It's  awful!  They  lay  for  me  outside 
school,  and  in  the  elevator  —  even  Peters  notices 
it.    Peters  says,  '  You're  growing  popular,  sir.' 

"  Well,  I  certainly  am  if  that's  what  you  call 
having  those  two  snips  stick  to  me  day  and  night. 
They  have  been  to  call  on  mother,  and  she  got  in 


38        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

wrong,  I  guess,  by  patting  Clement  on  the  back. 
Mother's  got  some  sort  of  a  rinkydoo  on  the  wall 
that  tells  how  some  of  onr  folks  came  out  of  the 
ark  or  some  such  foolishness,  and  DeForest  sat 
and  stared  at  it  all  the  time  he  was  there.  Why, 
he  acted  kind  of  dippy  over  it !  When  he  got  up 
to  go,  he  edged  over  and  read  the  motto  two  or 
three  times.  I  saw  his  lips  go.  I'll  bet  he  was 
memorizing  it  so  that  he  could  get  someone  to 
translate  it.  Why,  I'm  nearly  crazy!  I'll  bust  if 
this  keeps  up ! 

"  And  as  for  Clement,  I  wish  you  could  have 
heard  him  talk  to  mother  about  the  Simple  Life. 
He  drooled  on  about  it  like  a  copy-book,  and  fin- 
ally mother  said :  '  My  dear  child,  there  is  no 
such  thing  as  the  Simple  Life.  The  more  you  try 
to  make  it  simple,  the  harder  you  have  to  wofrk.' 

"  I  thought  that  ought  to  hold  him,  but  Clement 
says  just  as  cool  as  ice, '  Really,  I  can 't  agree  with 
you,  Mrs.  Ransier;  but  one  never  argues  with  a 
lady.' 

"  I  was  crazy  to  punch  him,  but  mother  looked 
so  amused  that  I  thought  he'd  might  as  well  live 
along  if  she  got  any  fun  out  of  it.  €  Won't  argue 
with  a  lady, '  says  Clement ;  and  him  sixteen  years 
old!  I'd  like  to  spank  him.  Oh,  Jiminy,  here 
they  come  now !  ' ' 

The  two  Carrolls  hurried  in,  cast  anxious  eyes 
about,  and  with  a  look  of  relief  on  their  round 
faces,  crossed  the  room. 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        39 

"Sorry  we  missed  yon,  old  chap,"  said  Clem- 
ent.   He  sat  down  close  to  Fatty. 

"  Yes,  we  thought  we  conld  all  come  over  to- 
gether," added  DeForest,  squeezing  in  between 
Fatty  and  Tony.  Both  boys  paid  no  attention 
whatever  to  Tony  or  Charlie.  Fatty  stretched  out 
his  long  legs,  leaned  his  head  back  against  the 
wall  and  groaned. 

"  Yon  do  flatter  me  so,"  he  remarked.  "  'Tis 
almost  too  much  for  me  I  " 

The  Carrolls  looked  at  each  other,  and  went  off 
into  cackling  laughter.  "  Good  work,  old  man!  " 
they  both  exclaimed,  patting  Fatty  on  the  back. 

"  Now  what?  "  demanded  Fatty.  "  If  I  don't 
choose  to  go  around  like  a  comet  dragging  a  fuzzy 
little  tail,  what's  the  joke?  " 

The  Carrolls  continued  to  cackle.  Tony  looked 
surprised.  Charlie  hid  his  face  in  his  hands  and 
laughed  until  he  cried.  His  joke  had  worked  beau- 
tifully.   He  had  to  share  it. 

"  Come  along,  Tone,"  he  said,  and  walked 
away. 

"  Come  back,  you  pikers,"  cried  Fatty  for  he 
was  so  hemmed  in  by  his  admirers  that  he  could 
not  move. 

"  In  a  minute,"  said  Charlie,  and,  drawing 
Tony  into  the  lavatory,  told  him  the  joke. 

"  Oh,  it's  too  funny  for  words,"  gasped  Tony, 
when  he  could  speak.  "  Let's  keep  it  up  for  £ 
while.    I  want  to  go  back  and  listen. ' ' 


40        THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE 

They  hastily  retraced  their  steps.  Fatty 's  eyes 
were  full  of  murder.  His  thin  arms  were  folded 
tightly  and  he  had  made  himself  as  small  as  pos- 
sible. 

On  either  side,  the  Carrolls  turned  toward  him? 
their  round,  pink  faces  full  of  admiration.  Be- 
fore them,  with  a  puzzled  look  in  his  blue  eyes, 
stood  O'Rourke.  He  put  an  arm  around  Chuck 
and  Tony,  and  said : 

"  Belave  me,  boys,  I'd  go  far  and  fare  worse  to 
look  at  such  a  swate  sight.  'Tis  the  free  of  'em 
now  settin'  there  friendly  and  close  as  birds  on  a 
bough;  and  me  friend  Mr.  Ransier  looks  that 
plazed!  " 

"  Certainly!  "  said  Clement.  "  We  three  fel- 
lows are  congenial,  Q  'Rourke. ' ' 

"  True  fer  ye,"  said  O'Rourke  solemnly,  "  as 
conjaneyul  and  frindly  as  St.  Pathrick  and  the 
snakes.    'Tis  fine  to  see  yez !  ' ' 

"  Aw,  rats!  "  said  Fatty,  giving  a  jerk  and 
breaking  away  from  the  two  fat  boys.  "  Come 
on  out  of  this !  ' ' 

"  Yes,"  said  Clement.  "  Come  on!  This  is  no 
place  to  chat. ' ' 

He  jumped  up  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  took 
Fatty's  arm.  Fatty  turned  imploring  eyes  upon 
the  policeman. 

"Say,  Mr.  O'Rourke,"  he  begged,  "  arrest 
me,  will  you?    I'm  not  safe  to  have  around." 

"  I  can  see  that"  said  the  officer,  "  and  fer  yer 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        41 

mother's  sake  I'll  take  you  in  and  put  a  straight 
jacket  on  yez  before  ye  do  harm  to  the  hilpless. 
What  ye've  done  to  so  punish  yersilf,  I  dunno; 
but  I  '11  look  into  it.    Come  alang,  then. ' ' 

He  laid  a  hand  on  Fatty's  shoulder  and  with  a 
great  show  of  force  walked  off  with  him. 

Chuck  turned  to  the  Carrolls.  "  Are  you  go- 
ing to  box  now  ?  "  he  said. 

Clement  stared  at  him.  "  Oh,  are  you  two 
here?  "  he  remarked. 

For  a  moment  Charlie  stood  still,  pale  and  fu- 
rious. Then  he  controlled  himself,  and  without  a 
word  walked  away. 

"  Gee  whiz,  kid,  why  didn't  you  soak  him  for 
that  t  ' '  groaned  Tony. 

"  He's  not  worth  it,"  gritted  Chuck:  "  but  he's 
earned  all  that 's  coming  to  him  now.  I  '11  fix  him, 
the  measly  mucker !  Let 's  find  Will.  I  'm  going 
to  put  him  on !  ' ' 

Will  was  marching  up  and  down  outside  the 
Court  House,  with  O'Rourke.  The  boys  dashed 
up. 

"  Say,  Fatty,  you've  got  to  help  out,"  Tony  ex- 
ploded, and  both  talking,  he  and  Charlie  told  the 
whole  joke. 

"  Well,  fellows,"  said  Fatty,  "  you  are  sure  two 
Scout  pills.  You  ought  to  have  your  faces  pushed 
in  for  this,  but  never  mind.  Let's  begin  any  old 
time,  and  see  the  fun>" 

He  started  back  toward  the  gym.     u  Let  'em 


42        THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE 

alone  now,  Fat,"  counselled  Tony.  "  They  are 
getting  ready  to  box. ' ' 

"  Certainly!  "  said  Fatty.  "I'm  going  in  to 
admire  theni." 

The  boys  followed  him.  Fatty  sat  in  the  seat 
nearest,  the  ring,  and  with  open  mouth  and  round 
eyes  watched  the  boxing.  He  kept  up  a  fire  of  re- 
marks, in  a  low  tone,  but  carefully  intended  for 
the  ears  of  the  Carrolls. 

"  Do  you  know,"  he  confided  to  the  boys,  •'  I 
never  noticed  the  form  those  fellows  have  until 
today  ?    Gee,  they  We  got  a  swell  build,  too !  ' ' 

The  Carrolls,  listening,  pranced  and  parried, 
and  whacked  each  other  with  short,  baby  blows. 
When  they  finally  finished,  they  left  the  ring  for 
the  shower  room,  more  out  of  breath  and  self- 
satisfied  than  ever.  The  boys  watched  for  them, 
and  when  the  Carrolls  came  out,  the  three  were 
busy  talking  about  Boy  Scout  affairs. 

The  Carrolls  joined  them,  or  joined  Fatty, 
rather,  as  they  seemed  to  consider  the  other  two 
quite  beneath  their  notice. 

' '  Well,  old  chap, ' '  said  Clement, ' '  how  was  that 
for  a  swift  round  f  ' ' 

"  Where  are  the  Lafayette  Scouts  going  this 
summer  ?  \ 9.  said  Fatty,  paying  no  attention. 

f '  Way  down  in  Maine, ' '  said  Tony.  ' '  Some  of 
Mr.  Smith  9s  planning,  of  course. '  ■ 

"  Who  is  this  Smith  you  talk  about?  "  inter- 
rupted DeForest.  ~ 


THE  BOV  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE        43 


a 


I  talk  about  Mister  Smith,"  said  Fatty, 
coldly.  "  Mister  Smith  is  the  dandiest  old  gen- 
tleman on  this  earth,  and  you  bet  it 's  an  honor  to 
know;  him. ' ' 

"  Mr.  Brown  comes  next,"  said  Tony. 

"  You  bet!  "  said  Fatty.  "  Let's  go  out  to- 
morrow and  see  'em.    Can't  you  go,  Chuck!  " 

"  Certainly,  we  will  go,"  said  both  the  Carrolls. 

Fatty  looked  at  them.  "  There  will  not  be 
room  for  you, ' '  he  said,  coldly.  ' ''  Besides,  we  are 
all  Scouts,  and  you  wouldn't  enjoy  it." 

"  That's  the  thing  I  had  in  my  mind  to  speak 
about,"  said  Clement  cheerfully,  overlooking 
Fatty's  remark.  "  The  pater  thinks  we  ought  to 
join  the  Scouts. ' ' 

"It's  pretty  mixed,  you  know,"  said  Chuck. 

"  Yes,  of  course,"  said  DeForest,  "  but  the 
pater  thinks  it  would  be  a?  good  thing  for  fellows 
of  our  standing,  you  know,  Will,  to  join  and  sort 
of  —  er  —  elevate  it,  you  know. ' ' 

"  Did  Doctor  Carroll  say  that?  "  sternly  de- 
manded Charlie. 

"  Well,  to  that  effect,"  DeForest  lied. 

"  What  is  the  pater?  Is  that  a  name  for  your 
father?  "  asked  Tony,  innocently.  Tony  was  the 
best  Latin  grind  in  school,  the  fellows  said. 

Clement  and  DeForest  smiled.  "It  is  Latin 
for  father/9  they  explained  kindly.  "  All  the  fel- 
lows in  our  class  call  their  fathers  that." 

"  Well,  if  your  '  pater  '  wants  you  to  elevate  the 


44        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

Scouts,  I  suppose  it  must  be  done,"  said  Fatty. 
* '  Do  you  know  anything  about  it  I  ' ' 

"  Why,  we  know  that  you  drill  and  go  camp- 
ing," said  DeForest.    M  I  sounds  jolly  enough." 

"  Oh,  yes,  it's  jolly  all  right,"  Fatty  assured 
him,  ' '  but  look  here !  Here 's  the  smallest  thing : 
every  morning  you  tie  a  knot  in  your  tie,  and  you 
can't  untie  it  until  you  do  some  act  of  kindness." 

"  Why  should  one  untie  one's  tie  at  all?  "  asked 
Clement.  ' ■  DeForest  and  I  can  tie  the  best  look- 
ing four-in-hands  in  town.  An  English  lord's 
servant  taught  us.  We'll  teach  you  if  you  like, 
Will." 

Will  sighed.    He  tapped  one  finger  on  his  palm. 

"  You  don't  tie  four-in-hands,  children.  You 
tie  just  a  common,  ordinary  knot  like  THIS  in 
the  END  of  your  tie,  and  you  wear  it  dangling 
outside  your  vest  like  THIS  until  you  have  earned 
the  right  to  take  it  out.  And  you  earn  the  right 
to  take  it  out  by  doing  some  act  of  kindness  or 
courtesy.    Do  I  make  myself  clear?  " 

"  But,  by  Jove,  man,"  objected  Clement* 
"  that's  bound  to  wrinkle  up  your  tie!  " 

Fatty  looked  at  him  a  long  time  and  sighed : 

"  Yes,  it  will  wrinkle  up  your  tie,"  he  admitted. 
u  Now,  as  this  is  a  primer  class,  I  will  tell  you 
some  more.  You  will  have  to  cut  out  your  cussing 
unless  you  want  a  dose  of  cold  water  down  your 
slewe.  You  will  have  to  learn  something  about 
your  country's  flag,  which  I  bet  you  don't  know 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        45 

now.  YouVe  got  to  tie  a  reef,  a  short  bend,  a 
close  hitch  and  a  bowline  knot.  Yon  have  got  to 
swear  to  do  these  things :  First,  to  do  yonr  duty 
to  God  and  yonr  country.  Second,  to  help  other 
people  at  all  times. ' ' 

Clement  interrupted,  "  Why,  that  will  be  a 
bally  nuisance!  One's  time  is  too  valuable  to 
spend  helping  other  people !  ' ' 

M  I  suppose  yours  is,"  agreed  Fatty  grimly, 
"  but  I  thought  I  ought  to  mention  that  part  of 
the  oath.    Then  third  is  to  obey  the  Scout  law. ' ' 

a  There  is  one  other  thing,"  suggested  Tony. 
"  You  must. earn  all  your  own  equipment." 

"  Why  not  ask  the  pater  for  it?  "  said  Clem- 
ent.   '  i  He  'd  give  it  to  us  cheerfully. ' ' 

"  Nothing  doing!  "  said  Fatty.  "  You've  got 
to  prove  that  you  have  earned  it,  too. ' ' 

* '  By  Jove !  ' '  said  DeForest  feebly.  ' '  We  have 
never  had  to  earn  any  money.  Darned  if  I  'd  know 
what  to  do!  " 

Fatty  was  enjoying  himself.  ' l  Well,  you  must 
know  how  to  do  something,"  he  said. 

DeForest 's  mouth,  which  had  been  hanging 
open,  closed,  then  opened  again. 

"  I  can  paint  on  china, ' '  he  said. 

"  Good  work!  "  said  Fatty  heartily,  but  with  a 
twinkle  in  his  eyes.  He  turned  to  the  other  boy, 
"  Now,  Clement,"  he  said,  "  I'll  bet  you  can  em- 
broider! " 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  BASEMENT  ROOM 

4t  That  was  a  masterly  move,"  said  Fatty  a  lit- 
tle later,  as  they  lost  the  Carrolls  at  the  soda  foun- 
tain in  a  drug  store,  and  walked  home  together. 
"  Gee,  fellows,  I'm  beginning  to  think  that  those 
dubs  are  really  worth  the  trouble.  It's  a  cinch 
that  I  never  wanted  to  laugh  as  I  did  just  now. 
Too  bad  Clement  can't  embroider!  He  could  put 
his  little  bureau  covers  and  tidies  in  a  suit-case 
and  sell  'em  the  way  the  Armenians  do.  Well, 
I  say  we  do  something!  We've  wasted  the  whole 
day.  Let's  go  up  to  the  house  first  and  see  if 
mother  has  some  cake. ' ' 

In  the  elevator  Fatty  said:  "  Hello,  Peters, 
good  afternoon!  " 

Peters,  a  little,  thin  wisp  of  a  man,  merely 
snarled.    He  was  pale  and  his  hands  trembled. 

"Ain't  he  the  limit?  "  asked  Fatty,  as  they 
waited  for  the  door  to  be  opened. 

'  '  I  tell  you,  Fat,  the  man  is  sick  or  in  trouble, '  - 
declared  tender-hearted  Tony. 

"  Aw,  sick  nuthin'  !  "  sneered  Fatty.  "  He's 
a  sore  head,  that 's  all !  I  tell  you  I  believe  he 's  a 
miser  besides.  He  gets  more  tips,  and  he  looks 
like  a  rag-bag.     Don't  think  there  is  any  Mrs. 

46 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE        47 

Peters.  He  has  a  couple  of  rooms  in  the  base- 
ment, and  he  has  the  back  part  all  fenced  off  so 
you  can't  see  in  the  windows,  and  he  won't  open 
the  door  unless  you  go  into  the  front  part  of  the 
basement. ' ' 

"  Mother  out?  "  he  asked  as  the  maid  opened 
the  door.    ' '  Well,  all  we  want  is  cake. ' ' 

While  the  generous  portions  were  disappearing 
Fatty  stuck  to  his  grievance.  "  I  say  he's  a 
miser :  and  I  vote  we  find  out  what  he 's  got  down 
there. ' ' 

"  Better  not,  had  we?"  said  Tony,  weakly. 
City  life  was  wearing  on  Tony.  There  seemed  so 
little  to  do. 

u  Yes,  come  on,"  urged  Fatty.  "  If  they  nab 
us,  I'll  take  the  blame.  Honest,  fellows,  Peters  is 
no  good.  All  he  wants  is  your  money.  You  ought 
to  see  him  grab  a  quarter.  Wait,  I'll  show  you; 
I've  got  fifty  cents  —  let's  go  down." 

In  the  elevator,  Fatty  quietly  offered  Peters  the 
coin.  The  man  seized  it  and  shoved  it  deep  into 
his  pocket.  ' '  Thank  you,  Mr.  Eansier,  thank  you ! 
That  helps,  that  helps!  "  he  said. 

On  the  street  Fatty  turned  to  the  boys. 
"  Well?  "he  said. 

"Well,"  said  Tony,  "  I  win!  I  know  I'm 
right." 

'  *  You  make  me  tired,  Tone !  Everybody  can 
make  an  easy  mark  of  you.  Now  I'm  going  to 
prove  that  I'm  right.     Tonight  I'm  going  to  go 


48        THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE 

down  cellar  as  soon  as  it's  dark,  and  see  what  he's 
got  locked  up  there.    Are  you  fellows  game  1  ' ' 

' '  Yes, ' '  said  Tony.    ' '  I  want  to  go. ' ' 

"  So  do  I!  "  said  Chuck. 

"  Well,  then  it's  a  go,"  said  Fatty,  "and  I 
feel  like  a  burglar  already. ' ' 

Chuck  and  Tony  came  back  about  eight  o'clock. 

i  *  Fellows,  ■ '  said  Fatty,  ' '  I  have  a  feeling  that 
mother  had  better  not  know  this." 

"  I  say  it's  a  mean  trick,"  said  Tony. 

"  It  would  be,  Tone,  if  Peters  wasn't  such  a 
snipe.  He's  not  worth  considering,  the  little 
grafter!  " 

The  boys  sat  around,  feeling  like  conspirators. 
It  grew  dusky. 

1 i  Come  on, ' '  said  Fatty.  * '  He 's  in  the  elevator 
now  for  three  hours.  I  don't  know  why  we 
should  feel  so  mean.  We  don't  intend  to  steal  his 
pile.  I  just  want  a  squint  through  those  windows. '  * 

They  waited  until  the  elevator  went  up,  then 
dodged  down  the  little  blind  stairway  that  led 
from  the  hall  into  the  half  basement.  It  was  very 
clean  down  there,  and  dark  and  still.  They  did 
not  dare  turn  on  the  electric  lights,  but  Fatty  had 
a  pocket  electric  torch. 

"  Those  are  rooms  for  fuel,"  he  said.  "  I  was 
down  here  once  or  twice.  The  furnaces  are  over 
there,  and  his  rooms  are  behind  them.  Come 
along!  " 

Guided  by  Fatty's  light,  they  stepped  briskly 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE        49 

across  the  great,  empty  space,  taking  care  to  make 
no  noise.  As  they  cautiously  circled  the  great 
furnaces  they  heard,  apparently  from  the  air 
above  them,  a  hollow  cough.  It  was  a  strange  and 
ghostly  sound.  Fatty,  well  in  the  lead,  started 
violently  and  dropped  his  light  with  a  crash. 
Chuck  and  Tony  grabbed  each  other.  No  one 
spoke  or  moved.    There  was  no  other  sound. 

Hastily  Fatty  rejoined  his  friends.  He  pulled 
them  to  him  and  in  a  shaky  whisper  said :  '  '  What 
was  that?  " 

"  Somebody  coughed,' '  whispered  Tony. 

"  Naw,  it  wasn't!  "  said  Chuck.  "  It  was  one 
of  the  furnace  pipes  making  a  noise. ' ' 

Fatty  lit  a  match  and  found  the  pocket  light. 
The  fall  had  not  improved  it,  and  it  gave  only  a 
feeble  glimmer.  Fatty  threw  the  light  around, 
and  for  a  long  time  the  boys  stood  in  a  silent 
group.  There  was  absolutely  no  sound.  The 
cough,  if  it  was  a  cough,  was  not  repeated.  Fatty 
nudged  the  boys  and  they  noiselessly  retreated  to 
the  windows  in  the  front  part  of  the  cellar,  where, 
in  the  light  of  the  street  lamp  showing  in,  they 
made  an  effort  to  fix  their  little  electric  torch.  It 
was  not  a  success,  however,  and  Tony  urged 
Fatty  to  give  it  up. 

"  Now,  look  here,"  Fatty  whispered,  "  I  be- 
lieve that  was  a  human  cough  if  it  was  any  at  all, 
and  three  of  us  wouldn't  imagine  it.  That's  no 
.sort  of  a  noise  to  be  hearing  in  an  apartment 


50        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

house.  What  if  that  snipe  has  got  somebody 
locked  up  down  here?  I  wouldn't  put  it  past 
him !    We  ought  to  look  into  it. ' ' 

"  That's  what  I  say,"  agreed  Chuck.  "  But  I 
think  it's  a  ghost.    It  sounded  ju§t  like  a  ghost.' ' 

"  Aw,  ghost  nuthin'  !  "  scoffed  Tony. 

"  Sure  thing,"  said  Chuck.  "  They  have  'em, 
any  number  of  'em,  in  England.  Father  says  the 
ghost  at  a  place  called  Edgerton  Manor  used  to 
give  a  hollow  cough  just  before  it  appeared.  I 
suppose  to  kind  of  prepare  you." 

"  What  did  it  look  like  when  you  saw  it?  " 
asked  Fatty,  glancing  over  his  shoulder. 

"  Oh,  it  was  fierce!  "  Chuck  assured  them. 
4  '  First  thing  you  would  hear  this  hollow  cough, 
or  perhaps  a  couple,  because  you  know  you  might 
not  be  listening  first  off ;  then  you  would  see  this 
hooded  figure  moseying  along  toward  you  without 
a  sound.  You  couldn't  see  its  face  until  it  got 
close  up,  and  then  you  saw  it  didn't  have  any." 

"  Head  cut  off  f  "  asked  Fatty,  hoarsely. 

"  No,  worse  than  that!  Most  of  its  face  had 
been  sliced  away  by  a  sword-stroke.  Then  it 
would  wring  its  hands  and  groan,  and  suddenly 
disappear." 

"  Well,  what  did  the  old  gike  mean  by  plugging 
around,  scaring  folks  f  ' '  demanded  Fatty. 

*  *  Why,  it  always  appeared  a  week  before  there 
was  to  be  a  death  in  the  house,  to  warn  'em. 
Father  saw  it  once. ' ' 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE        51 

"  He's  alive?  "  said  Fatty. 

u  Sllre,,,  said  Chuck,  "  the  fellow  that  saw  it 
didn't  die.' ' 

"  Don't  see  why  not,"  said  Fatty.  "I'd  have 
died!  I'd  have  just  dropped  dead  without  any 
fuss  or  bother. ' ' 

* '  Well, ' '  said  Tony,  after  a  long  pause,  '  *  there 
are  no  ghosts  here,  anyway:  but  I  don't  call  this 
much  fun.    Let 's  go  up. ' ' 

<  <  All  right, ' '  said  Charlie.    * <  Let 's !  ' ' 

"  No,"  said  Tony,  unexpectedly.  "  Let's  not! 
I'm  going  back!  " 

"  Why,  what's  eatin'  you,  Tone?  "  asked  Fatty. 
"  There's  no  ghost  at  the  Alhambra.  A  ghost 
would  have  a  fat  job,  I  must  say,  looking  after  all 
those  families.  Come  on,  let's  go  upstairs. 
We've  had  all  I  want  of  it." 

"  Go  ahead,"  said  Tony,  with  the  bulldog  firm- 
ness which  Fatty  knew  so  well.  '  *  You  might  just 
as  well  go  if  you  want  to.  I  don't  care  if  I  ga 
alone.    It  don 't  bother  me  any. ' ' 

"  Well,  I  don't  see  what  ails  you,"  said  Fatty. 
"  You  didn't  want  to  come  when  we  planned  it. 
You  know  you  didn't!  You  put  up  all  sorts  of 
kicks.  Now  you're  dead  set  to  go  on.  I  don't  see 
as  this  is  any  fun.  As  far  as  the  old  ghost  goes, 
why,  they  may  have  'em  in  England,  but  I'll  bet 
you  can't  find  'em  here.  Don't  be  a  goat,  Tone! 
Old  Peters  isn't  worth  our  time." 

"Perhaps  not,"  said  Tony,  stubbornly.     "I 


m        THE  BOY  SCOUTS  '  DEFIANCE 

didn't  want  to  come,  I  own,  but  that  was  no  ghost 
coughing.  It  was  a  human  being.  And  I'm  a 
Scout,  so  I'm  just  going  to  satisfy  myself  that 
everything  is  all  right.  Why,  it  won't  take  a  min- 
ute to  listen  at  that  door  or  look  through  the  key- 
hole. If  anybody's  is  trouble,  we  can  tell  it  too 
quick  —  so  I'm  going!  " 

"  That's  right  enough,  Fatty,"  said  Chuck. 
4i  I  forgot  that  we  are  Scouts.  I  think  it's  up  to 
us  now  to  see  the  thing  through." 

"  All  right,"  said  Fatty,  "I'm  game!  " 

They  turned  and  tiptoed  back  to  the  furnaces. 
It  was  nothing  but  a  chance,  of  course :  but  as  the 
"boys  passed  the  spot  where  they  had  heard  it  be- 
fore, another  hollow  cough  sounded,  seemingly 
from  a  great  distance.  Fatty,  who  was  nervous, 
jumped  and  gritted  his  teeth.  Chuck  clinched  his 
fists.  Tony  turned  in  the  direction  of  the  noise. 
Big,  square  pillars  supported  the  building.  On 
the  other  side  of  one  of  these,  in  a  partition,  was 
a  door.  Tony  went  around  the  pillar.  The  door 
was  ajar,  and  a  faint  light  streamed  out. 

Thunderstruck,  the  boys  looked  in,  in  their 
amazement  drawing  close  to  the  mysterious  apart- 
ment. It  was  a  large  room,  and  the  light  which 
made  it  possible  for  them  to  see  it  shone  from  an- 
other room  beyond.  The  place  was  comfortable, 
even  handsomely  furnished.  The  floor  was  thickly 
covered  with  rugs  of  all  descriptions,  from  plain 
squares  of  rag  carpet  to  torn  old  rugs  from  the 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        53 

far  East.  All  sorts  and  tags  of  furniture,  most  of 
it  good,  but  none  "matching,  filled  the  room.  In 
the  dim  glow,  which  scarcely  lighted  the  room  at 
all,  everything  looked  better  than  it  was. 

"  Say,"  whispered  Fatty,  "  ain't  Peters  the 
swell?  " 

Tony  nudged  him  sharply.  Tony  had  ears  like 
a  fox:  and  he  had  heard  in  the  further  room  a 
soft,  pitiful  sigh. 

The  boys  stood  rigid,  holding  their  breath. 
Again  the  sigh  trembled  on  the  air,  and  the  three 
boys  all  heard  it.  They  nudged  each  other  vio- 
lently, hitting  elbows  midway.  For  a  long,  long 
while  they  stood  there,  staring  about  the  dark 
room  and  listening  for  some  further  sound.  The 
stillness  was  painful.  There  was  something  about 
the  comfort  and  daintiness  of  the  room  that  made 
Fatty  and  Chuck  suddenly  aware  that  they  were 
engaged  in  a  contemptible  trick.  Fatty  pulled 
Tony 's  sleeve. 

1  ■  Come  on !  ' '  he  whispered  in  his  ear. 

Tony  shook  his  head.  "I'm  going  to  see  who 
that  is,"  he  said. 

"  Well,  what  good  will  it  do  you?  " 

"  Don't  know,"  said  Tony,  "  only  I'm  just  go- 
ing to  do  it,  that's  all." 

"  Well,  you  old  bullhead,  go  as  far  as  you 
like!  "  hissed  Fatty,  angrily. 

^  The  inner  door  swung  a  little.    The  boys  drew 
[back  into  the  darkness.    A  dim  figure  appeared 


54        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

against  the  light:  a  slight,  ghostly  figure  in  float-' 
ing,  white  garments. 

The   figure  moved    slowly  forward.     Fatty's 
blood  froze.    Was  it  coming  out  to  them! 

It  hesitated  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  then 
turned  and,   crossing  to   a  big  couch,  drooped 
slowly  down  and,  leaning  toward  the  little  table 
beside  it,  switched  on  the  electric  reading  light. 
The  boys  gave  a  gasp  of  surprise.    There,  with 
the  light  turning  her  fair  hair  to  threads  of  gold, 
was  a  beautiful  girl.    She  was  very  thin  and  frail, 
and    seemed    to    move    as    though    she   had   no 
strength.     She  rested  her  head  listlessly  upon  the 
cushions,  and  again  a  sigh  of  weariness  or  pain 
cut  to  the  hearts  of  the  three  watchers.    Fatty 
jerked  their  coat  sleeves  and  began  backing  noise- 
lessly away.     As  they  reached  the  furnaces  a 
quick  step  sounded  in  the  stairway. 
'  \  Peters !  '  \  breathed  Fatty. 
As  he  approached,  the  boys  noiselessly  circled 
around  to  the  other  side  of  the  furnace  nearest 
them.    Peters  passed  and  the  boys  breathed  again. 
Fatty  must  have  breathed  too  hard:  for  with  a 
rattle  and  crash  the  fatal  torch-lamp  dropped  from 
his  hand. 

With  the  quickness  of  a  cat,  Peters  leaped  to 
the  electric  button,  and  flooded  the  room  with 
light.  Then,  before  he  gave  one  look  for  the  boys, 
he  closed  the  open  door.  When  he  turned  and  rec- 
ognized the  three  guilty  explorers,  he  was  a  pic- 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        55 

ture  of  absolute  fury.   At  first  lie  could  not  speak. 

"  Well,  young  gentlemen, ' '  he  said  at  last, 
*  '  this  is  just  what  I  looked  for  sooner  or  later : 
but  somehow  I  never  expected  it  from  you.  What 
devilment  had  you  to  do  I  wonder  if  I  hadn  't  ap- 
peared! What  had  you  planned  to  scare  that 
poor,  sick,  little  lass  in  there  f  I  jolly  well  thought 
she  was  safe  down  here  from  prying  eyes,  where 
she  could  spend  the  rest  of  her  poor,  short,  little 
life  in  peace  —  and  you,  Mr.  Eansier,  I  thought 
you  was  a  gentleman :  and  these  was  your  friends ! 
If  I  had  half  the  size  and  strength  of  my  wishes, 
I'd  thrash  you  all  if  I  lost  my  place  for  it.  You 
young,  thieving,  spying  curs  —  you  —  you  —  ' ' 

Tony  stepped  suddenly  toward  him,  and  took 
the  little  man  by  the  arm. 

"  Shut  up,  Mr.  Peters!  "  he  said  firmly. 
"  You've  got  to  hear  what  I  say.  Now  come  over 
here  where  the  young  lady  won't  hear  us  and  I'll 
tell  you  how  it  happened." 

"  I  don't  care  how  it  happened,"  repeated 
Peters.  But  Tony,  who  was  taller  and  much 
stouter  than  little  Peters,  dragged  him  away  from 
the  fatal  door. 

Fatty  felt  that  they  were  in  for  a  very  bad  time. 
He'd  never  seen  anyone  so  raging  mad  as  Peters, 
and  he  had  never  felt  so  low  down,  so  dirt  cheap 
in  his  whole  life.  It  had  looked  such  a  lark,  such 
a  harmless,  boy  trick  at  first,  but  the  way  it  had 
turned  out  was  awful.    Peters  —  poor  Peters  — 


■56        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

with  a  sick  child :  and  such  a  child !  Fatty  choked 
clown  a  groan  as  he  remembered  the  golden  hair 
and  great,  blue  eyes  he  had  seen.  Much  as  Fatty 
hated  girls  he  acknowledged  that  there  was  a  girl 
no  one  could  hate.  She  was  too  feeble.  It  made 
you  want  to  do  things  for  her.  Fatty  wondered 
if  her  mother  was  in  the  other  room.  -He  woke  up 
j —  Tony  was  speaking. 

"  Now  look  here,  Mr.  Peters,"  he  said.  "  This 
is  all  my  fault,  and  I'm  going  to  do  the  talking." 

"  It's  not  your  fault,"  cut  in  Fatty.  "  ^ou 
know  I  started  it,  Tone !  " 

"  Shut  up,  Fat;  I'm  talking!  "  insisted  Tony. 

"  We  thought  that  you  were  awful  mysterious 
about  the  place,  Mr.  Peters,  because  you  kept  Will 
in  the  front  part  when  he  came  down  to  see  you, 
and  we  thought  you  sort  of  camped  down  here  and 
it  would  be  a  joke  to  find  out  about  it." 
.    "  Spyin'  !  "  said  Peters  bitterly. 

"  Yes,  I  guess  that's  the  English  of  it,  all 
right,"  said  Tony,  with  a  blush.  "  But  we  won't 
leave  any  of  it  out,  at  any  rate.  Well,  we  came 
down  and  fussed  around,  and  over  by  the  furnace 
we  heard  a  cough.  At  first  it  scared  us;  we 
thought  it  was  a  ghost.  We  talked  it  over  and  the 
other  fellows  wanted  to  go  back. ' ' 

' l  Afraid !  ' '  sneered  Peters. 

"  No,"  said  Tony,  "  but  somehow  they  didn't 
want  to  go  on.  But  I  got  it  into  my  fool  head  that 
there  might  be  someone  in  trouble  or  someone 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        57 

that  needed  help,  so  I  said  that  I  was  going  on 
with  it.  So,  of  course,  the  other  fellows  came 
along.  You  see  we  are  Boy  Scouts,  and  we  've  got 
to  do  all  we  can  for  other  people  all  the  time. ' ' 

"  Is  that  what  you  name  it  when  you  spy  on  a 
man,  and  come  near  to  scaring  his  poor,  sick,  little 
lass  to  death?  "  asked  Peters. 

"  Look  here,  Peters,''  burst  out  Fatty,  '■*  I 
never  dreamed  you  had  a  daughter  or  a  family. 
Why,  man,  you  must  know  we  wouldn't  have 
scared  her  for  the  world.  We  never  dreamed 
you  had  a  place  like  this  down  here.  It's  all  rot, 
Peters,  for  you  to  say  you  think  we  would  have 
hurt  her.  Gee !  We  were  getting  out  as  fast  as 
we  could  when  you  came,  and  if  I  hadn't  dropped 
that  light,  why,  no  harm  would  have  been  done. 
We  wouldn't  have  told.  It's  your  affair  if  you 
want  to  live  down  here  and  hide  your  family 
away.  Now  I'm  sorry  about  it,  Peters.  It  was 
all  my  fault,  and  I  apologize.  The  other  fellows 
came  because  I  put  it  up  to  them  that  it  was  a  lark. 
Tony  isn't  the  sort  that  spies,  and  neither  is 
Chuck." 

"  Neither  is  Will,"  said  Tony,  earnestly. 
"  Why,  he'd  not  do  a  mean  thing  for  the  world. 
Honest,  Mr.  Peters,  we  are  awful  sorry!  I  tell 
you  if  there  was  a  thing  in  the  world  we  could  do 
to  show  you  how  sorry  we  are,  we  would  do  it." 

"  That's  straight,"  said  Fatty,  then  remember- 
ing  Peters'   thirst  for   tips,  he   dived  into   his 


58        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

pocket  and  brought  out  a  five-dollar  bill.  l '  I  wish 
you'd  take  this,  Peters,"  he  said,  pushing  it  into 
Peters'  hand. 

"  No,  thank  you,  Mi*.  Eansier,"  said  Peters, 
drawing  back,  "  I  can't  take  it  today  somehow, 
sir;  I'm  too  sore." 

"  Please  take  it,  Peters,"  urged  Fatty;  "  take 
it,  and  then  we  'li  feel  that  you  believe  what  we  're 
telling  you.  Take  it  and  give  it  to  Mrs.  Peters, 
and  ask  her  to  get  something  for  the  little  girl." 

Peters,  overwrought  and  bowed  by  his  sorrows, 
gave  a  dry,  crackling  sob. 

"  That's  just  it,"  he  said  finally.  "  There 
aint  no  Mrs.  Peters!  " 


CHAPTER  V 


peters'  confession 


"  She's  dead,"  said  Peters,  simply.  "  Died 
when  the  lass  was  a  little  un,  only  four  years  old. 
Now  she's  fifteen,  and  she's  going  same  as  her 
mother  went." 

"  Oh,  I  gness  not,"  said  Tony,  hastily.  "  She's 
all  right !    Why,  she  looks  dandy !  ' ' 

"  It's  her  lungs,"  said  Peters.  "  She  ought  to 
be  in  the  woods.  I  went  up  there  a  while  ago,  but 
there's  no  work  there  for  such  as  me.  I'm  such 
a  little  tike,  and  I've  but  had  to  do  with  cities.  I 
couldn't  leave  her  there  alone:  she's  not  strong 
enough  to  fend  for  herself,  so  here  she  is  with  me ; 
and  I'm  doing  my  best  while  I  have  her.  And 
that,  Mr.  Eansier,  sir,  is  where  your  money  went. 
Lord,  I. knew  'twas  not  right  to  accept  so  much 
from  a  boy,  but  how  could  I  refuse  it  when  it 
meant  a  lot  of  luxuries  that  a  janitor's  pay  won't 
buy?  " 

"Why  can't  you  work  in  the  woods,  Mr. 
Peters?  "  asked  Fatty,  the  five-dollar  bill  still 
burning  his  fingers. 

"  There's  nothing  for  a  man  like  me  to  do 
there,"  said  Peters,  sadly.  "  You  see  I'm  but  a 
wisp  though  I'm  strong.    But  people  are  afraid 

59 


60        THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE 

to  try  me  at  work  on  account  of  my  size.  My  size 
was  big  money  to  me  once,"  he  smiled.  "  I  was  a 
jockey  over  on  the  other  side  years  ago. '  * 

"  Honest?  "  said  Chuck.  "  I  love  horses. 
Don't  you  ever  ride  now?  " 

"  Never,"  said  Peters. 

"  How  did  you  happen  to  stride  this  job?  " 
asked  Fatty. 

6 '  Just  chance, ' '  said  Peters.  ' '  Wait  till  I 
speak  to  the  lass  and  I'll  tell  you  about  it." 

He  left  the  room.  Fatty  rolled  a  relieved  eye 
toward  the  others. 

' '  Say,  that  was  a  narrow  squeak !  "he  sighed. 

"  You  bet!"  said  Chuck.  "  He  was  mad 
enough  to  shoot  us. ' ' 

"  Aw,  I  don't  mean  that/9  jeered  Fatty.  "  I 
mean  meeting  the  girl. ' ' 

"  Why,  she  looks  like  an  awfully  nice  girl," 
said  Tony.  "  She  must  be  so  lonesome.  I  won- 
der if  Peters  lets  her  see  anybody  at  all.  Here  he 
comes." 

"  Well,  young  gentlemen,  since  you  have  seen 
her  you  may  be  interested  to  know  how  I  happen 
to  have  such  a  daughter.  I've  an  hour  to  spare, 
and  if  you  like  I'll  tell  you  about  it.  I'd  jolly  well 
like  to  talk  to  someone  sometimes.  I  bottle  me- 
self  up  and  bottle  meself  up  and  sometimes  I  can't 
rightly  bear  it.  I  know,  Mr.  Eansier,  that  you've 
thought  me  strange  and  surly :  but  I  could  not  help 
it,  indeed.    I  am  in  great  trouble,  young  gentle- 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        61 

men,  but  I  think  you  will  own  that  I  have  tried  to 
bear  it  alone. 

"  When  I  was  a  lad  I  was  a  jockey,  and  one  of 
the  best.  I  was  born  and  bred  in  Devonshire,  and 
when  I  began  to  ride  'twas  for  the  Edgerton 
stable,  and  'twas  Harry  Edgerton 's  famous  horses 
carried  me.  Why,  'twas  I  who  rode  Blue  Belle 
against  Thunderbolt;  and  I  brought  May  Day  in 
a  nose  ahead  of  Filippo :  and  I  was  on  the  Monk 
when  he  —  but  hear  me :  how  could  you  be  inter- 
ested in  this?  " 

"  My  father  lived  at  Edgerton  when  he  was  a 
boy,"  said  Charlie. 

"Did  he?  "  asked  Peters,  "what  was  the 
name?  " 

"  O'Connors,"  said  Charlie. 

Peters  shook  his  head.  "  I  didn't  know  him," 
he  decided. 

"  Wei],  I  rode  my  best,  and  I  loved  the  string 
of  beauties,  and  I  did  well.  Sir  Harry  was  like  a 
brother  to  me.  I  wooed  a  sweet  lass  whose  father 
was  landlord  of  the  Edgerton  Arms.  There  was 
another  chap  loved  her,  and  he  was  a  jockey,  too  j 
and  when  she  said  him  no,  he  swore  he'd  do  me. 
And  he  did :  for  the  blackguard  rode  with  me  in 
a  race,  and  he  swore  that  I'd  fouled  his  horse.  I 
was  so  mad,  knowing  why  he'd  done  it,  that  I 
struck  him  and  they  disqualified  me." 

"  They  did  what?  "  asked  Tony. 

1  *  Sent  me  from  the  track.   I  could  ride  no  more. 


62        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

Well,  my  sweetheart,  Alice,  came  down  the  laiii 
that  night  to  meet  me,  for  I'd  sent  heir  word  I  was 
heading  for  America,  although  Sir  Harry  stood 
my  friend.  She  came  down  the  lane,  and  she  said, 
*  Phil,  what  does  it  mean :  this  note  f  ' 

"Isaid,  <  I'm  off;  Alice.' 

"  <  Why?  '  she  said. 

"  *  What  is  there  left?  '  I  asked  her.  '  I  can't 
ride.  I  know  well  your  father  will  not  let  you 
marry  me  now.  I  have  no  friend  but  Sir  Harry : 
and  I'm  off  to  America.' 

"  '  Is  Sir  Harry  more  your  friend  than  I  am, 
Phil? 'she  said,  soft. 

"  i  No,  I'll  not  say  so,  Alice,  but  you  will  soon 
forget  me. '  ^ 

"  She  laughed.  Young  gentlemen,  she  had  the 
sweetest  silver  laugh, 

"  '  I'll  not  forget  you,  Phil.  I'm  so  afraid  to 
have  you  go  alone,  and  you  so  careless  about  tak- 
ing cold.  I  saw  Sir  Harry  today,  and  we  decided 
that  'twas  only  safe  for  me  to  go  along  and  look 
out  for  you.  And  here's  our  passage,'  she  added. 
4  'Tis  a  present  from  Sir  Harry !  ' 

"  Well,  young  gentlemen,  I  could  not  speak  for 
a  bit.  So  we  came  to  America,  and  I  got  work  as 
trainer  at  some  big  private  stables  on  Long  Is- 
land. The  people  were  millionaires,  and  seemed 
like  they  never  tired  of  doing  for  Alice :  and  we 
lived  like  lords. 

"  'Twas  there  little  Alice  was  born:  and  'twas 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        63 

there  four  years  later  that  her  mother  died,  and 
there  she  rests  so  far  from  home.  I  couldn't 
abide  the  place  after  my  Alice  died,  and  I  went  to 
Buffalo.  There  I  stayed  until  two  years  ago. 
The  cold  lake  winds  hurt  my  little  Alice,  and  we 
came  here.  The  doctor  bills  and  all  had  drained 
me  dry:  and  I  took  this  place  as  the  first  one 
offering.  Alice  and  I  had  little  lodgings  over  yon- 
der, but  I  saw  the  rooms  here,  and  asked  for  them 
and  they  let  me  have  them  with  some  old  furniture 
from  the  garret.  Mostly  those  who  go  leave  bits 
behind,  and  I've  fixed  them  up  so  that  Alice  is 
housed  like  the  little  lady  that  she  is.  That's  all, 
young  gentlemen.  I'm  a  failure :  I'm  just  Peters, 
the  janitor,  but  that  little  girl  over  there  is  as 
fine  as  God  makes  them,  if  she  is  my  daughter. 
She  is  educated  and  as  well  mannered  as  the  best, 
like  her  mother  before  her.  She  is  all  that  I  have : 
and  can  you  wonder  that  I  couldn't  bear  to  have 
you  do  aught  to  frighten  her  1  ' ' 

"  I  should  say  not!  But  honest,  Peters,  did 
you  think  that  we  would  wrong  her?  I  tell  you," 
said  Fatty,  patiently  going  back  to  the  beginning, 
"  we  didn't  dream  of  anything  like  this.  Now 
here's  the  best  thing  to  do.  Don't  tell  her  about 
us  at  all,  see?  We  will  see  what  we  can  do  for 
you.    Don't  you  think  it  is  damp  down  here?  " 

"  No,  it  is  dry  enough,  but  she  does  need  the 
sun,"  said  Peters  sadly.  "  For  awhile  I  took  her 
to  the  roof,  but  I  don't  dare  leave  her  there  be- 
cause she  faints." 


64        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

"  Well,  Peters,  do  you  mind  if  I  tell  my  mother 
about  Miss  Alice?  "  asked  Fatty. 

"  I  hate  to  bother  her,"  said  Peters.  "  It  looks 
like  asking  sympathy.' ' 

"  What  rot!  "  said  Fatty.  "I'm  going  to  tell 
her,  and  I'm  going  to  tell  her  now." 

He  started  for  the  door.  "  Say,  Peters,  I  wish 
you'd  just  say  it's  all  right.  I'm  so  sorry  it  hap- 
pened."   i 

"  I'm  not  sorry,"  said  Tony.    "  Not  a  bit!  " 

"  It  is  all  right,  sir,"  said  Peters.  "I'm  sure 
you  understood  me,  and  somehow  it  has  eased 
me." 

The  boys,  all  shaking  hands  with  Peters,  filed 
upstairs  and  sat  in  a  row  on  the  base  of  one  of  the 
great  stone  lions  at  the  entrance  to  the  Alham- 
bra.  Fatty  removed  his  hat  and  brushed  back  his 
thick  locks. 

"  Never,  never,  never  again  for  mine,"  he 
vowed.  "  Say,  I  never  went  through  so  many 
kinds  of  feeling  in  that  length  of  time  in  my  life. 
I  felt  bad  enough  over  John,  and  when  he  com- 
menced to  get  well  I  thought  I'd  take  a  rest:  now 
here  we  are  with  the  girl  on  our  hands." 

"  Why,  we  won't  have  to  do  anything,"  said 
Chuck,  "  not  unless  we  want  to,  anyhow."  ■ 

"  But  we  will  want  to!  "  said  the  gentle  Tony. 
"  We  are  so  sorry  for  her,  you  know.  The  best 
way  is  to  tell  our  mothers  and  I  guess  I'll  go  home 
and  tell  mine  now.  She's  not  going  to  like  all  of 
the  yarn  a  little  bit,"  said  Tony. 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        65 

11  Nor  mine!  "  said  the  others. 

Going  up  in  the  elevator,  Fatty  clapped  Mr. 
Peters  on  the  shoulder  and  smuggled  the  five -dol- 
lar bill  into  his  pocket.  Having  done  so,  he  heard 
a  sigh  of  relief  and  went  whistling  into  the  apart- 
ment. 

On  the  divan  sat  the  two  Carrolls.  They  wore 
white  trousers  and  dark  coats.  Fat,  knotted  silk 
ties  of  a  blazing  purple  color  burned  under  each 
round  chin.  Purple  silk  socks  adorned  their  fat 
ankles.  On  their  laps,  each  held  an  expensive 
panama.    As  Fatty  entered,  they  arose. 

"  Ah,  old  chap,"  they  remarked.  "  Just  wait- 
ing for  you !    Mighty  glad  you  came !  ' ' 

"  So  am  I,"  said  Fatty,  with  a  glance  at  his 
parents '  dismal  faces.  * '  So  am  I,  fellows !  It 
was  good  of  you  to  wait  just  to  say  good-night. ' ' 

He  shook  each  by  the  hand,  and  moved  slowly 
toward  the  door,  taking  the  Carrolls  with  him. 

"  Come  again  when  I'm  in,  so  we  can  visit. 
Awfully  sorry  you've  got  to  go.    Good-night!  " 

With  a  firm  hand  on  each  fat  shoulder,  he 
steered  them  into  the  hall  and  closed  the  door. 

On  the  divan  his  mother  had  her  face  buried  in 
a  pillow.  Mr.  Eansier  was  regarding  him  over 
his  glasses.  "  I  can't  help  wondering  at  times, 
son,  what  you  are  going  to  be  when  you  are 
grown.    I  must  say  that  was  a  masterly  move." 

Mrs.  Eansier 's  pretty  face  popped  up  from  the 
pillow.  "  Are  they  really  gone?  "  she  asked.  **  I 
wonder  if  they  know  what  has  happened.    Yes, 


66        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

Will,  I'm  like  your  father, ' '  she  said.    ' '  I  wonder 
what  you  will  be." 

"  I  won't  be  a  janitor,  anyway,"  said  the  future 
Ambassador  to  England,  finally. 

"  That's  good,"  said  his  father.  "It  is  the 
only  profession  that  I've  known  you  to  shy  at. 
You've  run  a  great  course,  Will;  everything  from 
circus  master  to  missionary.  I  don't  see  just  why 
you  balk  at  the  job  of  janitor.  Seems  a  very  safe 
and  uneventful  life.  Of  course  there  are  bad 
times,  when  you  turn  Mrs.  Brown's  steam  off  in 
zero  weather  and  put  full  head  on  for  Mrs.  Jones, 
who  never  likes  much  heat  But  those  things  will 
occur.  I  think,  Will,  I'd  have  a  spell  of  being  jan- 
itor if  I  were  you. ' ' 

"  Not  for  mine,"  said  Will.    "  I  know  a  jani- 
tor, and  that's  enough!    Say,  motherkin,  I've  got 
a  job  for  you  —  it's  another  orphan." 
:  "  Not  the  janitor,  I  hope,"  gasped  Mrs.  Ean- 
sier.    "  I  just  simply  can't  adopt  Peters !  " 

"It  is  Peters'  daughter,"  said  Fatty,  "and 
mother,  I  think  us  Scouts  will  have  to  come  to  the 
front.  She's  fifteen  years  old,  mother,  and  I 
guess  she's  going  to  die:  and  she's  awful  pretty." 
"  Do  you  think  she  is  pretty?  "  asked  Mrs.  Ean- 
sier,  sitting  up  very  straight  in  her  amazement. 

"  Yes,  I  do,"  said  Fatty,  "  but  of  course  I  didn't 
have  to  speak  to  her.  You  will  though  —  Oh,  yon 
will  have  to  get  into  the  game,  motherkin!  " 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        67 

"  I  don't  know  what  you've  done  or  whom  you 
have  found:  but  I'll  promise  now  to  help  you  out, 
son,  if  only  for  what  you  did  tonight. ' ' 

"  That's  the  best  mother  ever!  "  said  Fatty, 
patting  her  on  the  arm.  "  Now  I'll  tell  you  the 
whole  thing,  and  then  you  say  what  you  think." 

He  left  out  no  part  of  the  story.  Mr.  and  Mrs* 
Ransier  looked  pretty  grave  at  the  motive  of  the 
affair,  it  was  too  much  like  plain  spying :  but  they 
laughed  and  laughed  over  the  ghost  part. 

That  night,  after  Fatty  had  gone  to  bed,  satis- 
fied that  his  father  and  mother  would  see  the  fel- 
lows through,  Mrs.  Eansier  said:  "  I'm  not  a  bit 
sleepy.  "Why  not  see  that  Peters  man  tonight?  If 
it  is  just  as  it  looked  to  Will,  I  think  that  it  is  a 
very  sad  case. ' ' 

Mr.  Ransier  went  out  to  the  elevator  and  spoke 
to  Peters.  i  l  He  will  be  off  duty  in  fifteen  min- 
utes. We  just  caught  him,"  he  said,  returning  to 
his  wife.  i  \  I  think  you  are  right.  We  may  better 
have  our  talk  first  before  the  boys  make  any  mis- 
take." 

It  was  a  long  and  serious  consultation  which 
followed.  When  Peters  finished  Mrs.  Ransier 's 
lovely  eyes  were  soft  with- tears,  and  Mr.  Ransier 
was  troubled  with  a  bad  cough. 

"  Now,  Peters,"  he  said,  "  I  am  convinced  that 
you  have  done  everything  in  your  power  for  that 
little  girl.  The  manly  part  for  you  now  is 
to  accept  some  help.    I  grant  that  it  may  not 


68        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

be  easy  or  agreeable,  but  it  is  now  the  really 
manly  thing  for  you  to  do.  We  want  to  help  you 
and  you  must  allow  us  to  do  so :  but  we  won't  take 
the  credit  or  pleasure  of  the  task  from  our, Boy 
Scouts.  In  the  morning  we  will  have  a  talk  with 
them,  and  you  may  be  sure,  Peters,  that  We  have 
your  little  girl's  welfare  very  much  at  heart/ ' 

Early  in  the  morning  Mrs.  Eansier  went  down 
into  the  basement.  She  was  gone  a  long  while. 
Mr.  Eansier  and  Fatty  had  both  exhausted  their 
patience  before  she  returned. 

"  It  is  simply  pitiful!  "  she  exclaimed.  "  And 
the  child  is  an  angel.  I  don't  wonder  that  you 
said  she  is  pretty.  And  such  sweet,  attractive 
manners.' f 

Fatty  fidgetted. 

'  She  won't  have  to  be  here,  will  she,  mother- 
kin?  " 

"  No,  my  dear,  the  child  is  too  ill  to  be  any- 
where but  in  her  own  room.  She  must  be  moved 
at  once.  I  think,  dearest,"  she  said,  turning  to 
Mr.  Eansier,  "  I  will  spend  some  of  my  oil  well  on 
the  child.  In  fact,  I  have  already  commenced. 
The  very  tiptop  apartment  in  the  house  is  small  — 
really  a  bachelor  apartment;  and  I  have  taken 
that  for  her.  It  is  extremely  airy  and  sunny,  and 
she  can  be  moved  up  there  in  the  elevator." 

"  That  was  a  very  wise  thing  to  do,"  said  Mr. 
Eansier,  heartily.    "  What  about  furniture?  " 
"  Peters   has   plenty.   He  has  the  rooms  full 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE        69 

of  castaway  furniture,  and  he  has  mended  and 
tinkered  and  polished  and  re-covered  things  until 
they  fairly  shine.  And  he  is  so  happy!  He  is 
sure  now  that  she  will  get  well.  Well,  they  will 
be  happy  for  a  while,  at  any  rate. ' ' 

"  Well,  I  don't  like  it,"  said  Fatty. 

41  Why,  Willi  "  said  Mrs.  Eansier. 

"  No,  I  don't /  "  said  Will.  "  We  found  her 
and  we  wanted  to  help.  You've  done  it  all.  I  tell 
you  the  fellows  will  be  sore !  " 

"  Done  it  all?  "  cried  Mrs.  Eansier.  "  Well,  I 
have  not!  I  have  scarcely  made  a  begin- 
ning. In  the  first  place,  I  don't  think  that  Peters 
actually  has  enough  to  eat.  He  spends  every  cent 
on  medicines  and  tonics  and  cod  liver  oil  for  that 
child.  His  skin  is  fairly  stretched  over  his  bones. 
If  you  can't  think  up  some  scheme  to  make  him 
eat,  she  will  outlive  him.  That  is  the  very  first 
thing.  Second  plan,  if  she  is  to  be  saved,  she  must 
have  a  trained  nurse.  Someone  to, give  her  oil 
rubs :  and  take  care  of  her  generally.  Oh,  yes,  she 
simply  must  have  a  nurse.  They  come  high,  Will ! 
Twenty-five  dollars  a  week.  You  Scouts  will  have 
to  work. ' ' 

"  That's  what  we  want,"  said  Fatty. 

"  Well,  in  that  case  you  had  better  go  help 
Peters  move.  Take  everything  from  one  room 
first,  and  then  let  Peters  take  his  daughter  up  and 
shut  her  in  there.    Then  she  won't  catch  cold." 

Fatty  started  and  at  the  door  met  Tony  and 


70        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

t 

Charlie,  whom  he  took  with  him.  Peters  greeted 
them  with  real  pleasure.  They  soon  had  the 
freight  elevator  loaded,  and  in  a  very  short  time 
one  of  the  airy  rooms,  blazing  with  sunshine,  was 
ready  for  the  sick  girL 

"  Now  we'll  skin  out,"  said  Fatty,  losing  his 
nerve  as  usual,  "  and  we'll  come  back  as  soon  as 
she  is  fixed." 

"  I'll  go  down  and  help  you  ge'c  her,"  said 
Tony.    "It's  hard  work  moving  sick  folks." 

Fatty,  leaning  against  the  stone  lion  at  the  door 
where  they  were  waiting  to  be  called  back  for  the 
rest  of  the  moving,  shook  his  head  solemnly. 

"  Honest,"  he  said,  "  now  doesn't  Tony  beat 
the  Dutch  f  He  '11  go  down  there  just  as  easy  as  if 
he  saw  girls  every  day,  and  help  move  her.  Per- 
haps he'll  even  help  put  on  her  shawl!  He's  a 
perfect  wonder!  " 

"  Honest  he  is,"  said  Charlie,  overawed  at  his 
friend's  daring.  "  You  just  can't  get  his  goat. 
He's  a  holy  terror,  Tony  is!  " 


CHAPTER  VI 


THE  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE 


"Morning,  Will!"  called  DeForest  Carroll 
with  enthusiasm  in  his  squeaky  voice.  "  How's 
everything?  " 

"  Fine,"  said  Fatty.    "  How  are  you?  " 

u  Couldn't  be  better,"  said  DeForest.  "  I  have 
an  order  for  two  hair-receivers." 

"  Hair-receivers?  "  said  Fatty  blankly. 
"  What  are  hair-receivers?  " 

"  Why,  little  china  boxes  with  a  hole  in  the 
cover  to  put  your  combings  in,"  explained  De- 
Forest,  easily,    "  I  have  an  order  to  paint  two." 

"  Oh,  you  have!  "  said  Fatty.  "  Well,  won't 
they  be  sweet?    What  you  going  to  put  on  'em?  " 

"  Apple  blossoms  on  a  French  grey  ground  on 
one,  and  pink  bow  knots  on  pale  blue  on  the 
other,"  said  DeForest,  glibly. 

"  It  sounds  perfectly  dear,"  said  Fatty  seri- 
ously, "but  awful  puttery.    Isn't  it?  " 

' '  Oh,  no ;  I  like  to  do  it, ' '  said  DeForest.  l '  But 
I'm  so  sorry  for  Clement.  He  can't  think  *p  a 
thing  to  do.  ■  He  wanted  to  tend  the  telephone  for 
pater,  but  pater,  he  said  he  couldn't  afford  to  risk 
anybody's  life,  and  wouldn't  have  him.  Mater 
was  awfully  peeved  at  pater  about  it." 


72        THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE 

' '  I  should  think  so !  "  agreed  Fatty.  ' '  Wonder 
if  we  couldn't  think  something  up.  There  ought 
to  be  some  work  just  fitted  to  a  fellow  of  Clement's 
talents. ' ' 

"  There  must  be,"  said  DeForest,  with  convic- 
tion. ' '  But  you  see  so  many  things  are  not  suit- 
able for  fellows  in  our  class. ' ' 

Fatty  gritted  his  teeth.  "  Yes,  that's  so,"  he 
agreed.  "  Now  I  wonder  if  the  things  I've  done 
would  be  all  right. ' ' 

"  Oh,  of  coarse,  dear  chap,"  said  DeForest. 

"  Well,  then,"  said  Fatty,  wickedly,  "  once  I 
worked  in  a  creamery;  but  that  won't  do  because 
there 's  none  about  here.  I  had  a  paper  route,  too. 
We'll  consider  that  later.  Then  for  a  while  I 
carried  home  washings  for  people.  Had  a  little 
express  wagon,  you  know,  and  used  to  put  the 
baskets  in  and  take  'em  around  to  the  wash- 
woman. That  would  be  easy  work  for  Clement," 
said  Fatty,  rolling  an  innocent  eye  at  DeForest. 

DeForest  was  apparently  on  the  verge  of  chok- 
ing, his  round,  pale  eyes  popped,  his  round,  red 
mouth  hung  feebly  open,  his  pink  cheeks  blazed. 

"  I  worked  in  Mr.  Trotter's  grocery,  too,  off 
and  on.  Oh,  yes,  and  I  worked  in  the  livery  stable. 
That's  the  ticket!  We'll  get  Clement  a  job  in  a 
garage.  I  notice  he's  crazy  about  automobiles. 
Where  is  he?    We'll  put  it  up  to  him." 

DeForest  struggled  to  speak.    "  Better  not," 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        73 

he  said.    "  Eeally,  I'd  advise  you  not  to.    Clement 
is  very  hasty,  awfully  hasty." 

"  Hasty,  how?  "  asked  Fatty. 

"Why,  his  temper,  you  know!  Eeally  he  is 
very  violent!  " 

"  What  does  he  do?  "  said  Fatty,  "  Lie  down 
on  the  floor  and  kick  and  scream !  ' ' 

"  Not  any  more,"  said  DeForest  innocently. 
"  He  controls  himself  wonderfully  now.  And  I 
think  he  is  better  since  you  came.  He  looks  up  to 
you,  really." 

"  Awfully  good  of  him,"  said  Fatty,  nudging 
the  stone  lion.  "  I  like  to  feel  that  I  am  of  some 
use  in  the  world." 

' '  Oh,  you  are ;  really,  old  chap,  really !  And  you 
are  such  a  good  mixer!  Clement  and  I  don't 
mix  very  well,  and  it's  too  had,  because  the  pater 
is  really  hipped  on  the  subject.  Always  quotes 
some  bally  old  writer  who  said  some  rot  about  the 
proper  study  of  mankind  being  man.  I  don't  see 
the  good  of  mixing,  myself,  or  didn't  until  we  met 
you.    The  mater  is  dead  set  against  it. ' ' 

"  Where's  Clement  now?  "  asked  Fatty. 
"  Never  saw  you  apart  before." 

"  He's  busy  with  the  manicure." 

"  Do  you  mean  she's  shinin'  his  nails?  "  de- 
manded Fatty,  with  a  glance  at  his  own  well-kept 
hands,  "  Can't  that  dub  even  take  care  of  his 
own  fingers?  " 

"  Why,  of  course,  not  properly,"  objected  De- 
Forest. 


74        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

"  Well,  DeForest,  that's  one  way  where  dear 
Clement  could  earn  a  little.  I'll  give  him  a  few 
lessons  in  the  simple  knack  of  doing  things  for 
himself  and  see  how  it  goes  ■ —  oh  dear,  oh  dear,  I 
think  I  must  leave  you,  DeForest!  Too  much 
whipped  cream  was  always  bad  for  me!" 

"  I  don't  quite  catch  your  drift,  old  chap,"  said 
DeForest,  with  a  smile. 

DeForest  showed  a  dimple  when  he  smiled :  but 
poor  Clement  had  two. 

"  All  right,"  said  Fatty.  "  Guess  I  didn't 
mean  anything  at  all:  but  I  need  some  air,  so 
good-bye. ' ' 

Fatty  walked  rapidly  down  the  street.  "  Do 
good  to  somebody  all  the  time,"  he  mused.  \  "  If 
that  doesn't  mean  the  Carrolls  I'll  eat  my  hat.  I 
wonder  if  the  Scouts  could  beat  them  into  shape. 
It's  worth  trying  because  it's  about  the  toughest 
gob  I  ever  saw.  But  they  must  have  some  good 
stuff  in  them.    Dr.  Carroll  is  a  peach !  ' ' 

As  he  reached  Lawrence  Street  he  paused. 
Tony  was  hurrying  toward  him  up  Paul  Street, 
and  Charlie  had  just  turned  down  Lawrence. 
(When  the  boys  met,  Fatty  said  solemnly: 

"  Boys,  we've  got  to  have  a  council  of  war  to- 
day. Let's  go  up  to  the  flat  and  chin  awhile. 
Mother  is  there  with  John.  I  brought  him  over 
from  the  hospital  for  the  day:  but  we  will  go  into 
my  room,  and  then  if  we  need  mother  to  consult 
with,  why,  she'll  be  handy." 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        75 

John,  still  bandaged  but  growing  stronger  every- 
day, was  propped  up  on  the  divan  with  a  look  of 
perfect  happiness  on  his  face  as  he  watched  Mrs. 
Eansier  at  her  writing. 

"  Hello,  John!  'Lo,  munisy!  We  are  going 
into  my  room  to  consult, ' '  said  Fatty. 

' '  Oh,  very  well, ' '  said  Mrs.  Eansier,  smiling  at 
the  boys. 

"  It's  a  funny  thing,' '  said  Fatty,  when  they 
had  shut  themselves  in, ' '  it 's  a  funny  thing  about 
dimples.  Now  my  mother's  dimples  always  make 
me  want  to  kiss  her;  and  the  Carrolls'  dimples 
make  me  mad  every  time  I  see  'em. ' ' 

"  It's  the  Carrolls  and  not  their  dimples  that 
make  me  mad,"  said  Charlie.  "  I  know  I'm  go- 
ing to  do  something  fierce  to  those  kids  some  day. 
I  never  have  a  square  show,  anyhow.  Just  be- 
cause I'm  Kid  O'Connors'  boy,  why,  I  mustn't 
fight;  because  my  people  are  so  touchy  about  it! 
Wish  I  could  go  off  somewhere  where  no  one 
knows  me,  and  have  a  good  fight  —  I'd  just 
like  to  spoil  some  pill's  mug  for  him.  I'd  like  to 
do  it  just  once;  then  I  think  I'd  be  satisfied." 

"  Say,  you  are  in  a  sweet  mood,"  said  Fatty, 
"  and  I  bet  it  won't  improve  when  I  tell  you  what 
I  've  got  framed  up  for  you. ' ' 

"  What  now?  "  said  Charlie.  "  Yesterday  it 
■was  house-breaking  and  burglary.  What's  on 
today?  " 

"  Playing  nursemaid,"  said  Fatty. 


J6        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

"  That  girl!  "  roared  Chuck.  "  Well,  I  guess 
not  —  not  for  mine !  You  have  another  think  com- 
ing this  time,  Fatty. ' ' 

"  Hold  on,  hold  on,  dear  child!  "  said  Fatty. 
"  The  truth  is  so  much  worse  that  I  hate  to  tell  it 
to  you.  Fact  is,  I'm  about  decided  that  we  will 
spend  the  summer  reforming  the  Carrolls." 

There  was  a  long  silence.  Tony  beat  his  head 
with  his  open  palm. 

"  You  can  decide  all  over  again  then,"  said 
Charlie.    "  I  don't  like  the  sample." 

"  All  right,"  said  Fatty,  "  but  I  think  it  would 
be  a  good  way  to  spend  the  summer.  Now  it's  up 
to  us  to  get  busy.  So  far  as  I  can  see,  we  are  doing 
a  lot  of  loafing;  and  for  one,  I'm  sick  of  it.  We'll 
have  a  good  time  and  it  will  be  all  sorts  of  sport 
to  put  them  through." 

"  How  about  the  girl?  "  asked  Tony. 

"That's  another  thing,"  said  Fatty,  "but 
mother  has  to  come  in  there.  I  thought  the  Car- 
rolls  would  be  sort  of  a  rest  after  taking  care  of 
her." 

'  *  They  might, ' '  Charlie  agreed. 

Fatty  recounted  the  conversation  of  the  morn- 
ing, while  the  boys  laughed  and  laughed.  A  tap 
on  the  door  was  followed  by  Mrs.  Ransier's  curly; 
head.    "May  I  come  and  hear  the  joke?  " 

Fatty  told  the  story  again  and  Mrs.  Ransier 
joined  in  the  laughter. 

"  That  certainly  is  funny,"  she   said,  "  but 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        77 

really,  boys,  I  think  your  plan  is  a  very  good  one." 

"  It's  not  our  plan;  it's  all  and  every  bit  Fat- 
ty's," said  Charlie.  "  I'm  not  very  strong  for  it 
myself,  Mrs.  Ransier.  I  think  it  will  be  an  awful 
waste  of  time.  Why,  you  can't  make  anything  of 
fellows  like  the  Carrolls." 

"  I  don't  know  whether  you  can  or  not,  my 
dear,"  said  Mrs.  Ransier,  kindly:  "  but  isn't  it 
worth  trying?  Wouldn't  it  seem  worth  while  if 
you  succeeded?  "  , 

u  I  suppose  it  would,"  said  Charlie.  "  But 
Mrs.  Ransier,  you  don't  see  the  side  of  them  that 
we  see;  you  don't  see  the  worst  side  of  them." 

Mrs.  Ransier  sighed.  ' '  To  be  perfectly  honest,. 
Charlie,  I  hope  that  I  do,  because  the  side  I  see  is 
very  bad  indeed.  So  silly  and  so  unboyish.  I  da 
think  that  it  would  be  fun  for  you  Scouts  to  see 
what  really  could  be  made  out  of  such  material." 

"  There's  one  thing  you  can't  make  out  of  it, 
anyway,"  said  Charlie,  "  and  that  is  a  boxer. 
Father  has  tried  and  tried.  Dr.  Carroll  put  him 
up  to  doing  his  best  with  them.  Doctor  said  he 
wanted  them  to  box  because  that  might  convince 
him  that  they  were  not  girls.  Poor  man,  I  guess 
he's  not  so  crazy  over  them  himself." 

"  Don't  say  that !  Of  course  he  loves  them,  but 
perhaps  he  would  like  to  have  them  a  little  differ- 
ent. I  don't  think  you  Scouts  have  been  very  busy- 
lately,  have  you?  I  would  feel  sorry  to  think  that 
city  life  makes  you  careless.    Think  it  over,  why 

6 


78        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

don't  you,  before  you  decide  to  let  the  chance  slip. 
If  you  could  help  put  manhood  into  those  boys,  or 
Tather  bring  it  out  (for  it  surely  must  be  there),  it 
ivould  be  a  task  well  worthy  of  your  order.  Don't 
you  think  so?  " 

Fatty  sighed.  "  Yes,  I  do,"  he  said:  "  and  I'm 
for  trying  it. '  * 

< <  I'll  try,"  said  Tony  Keene. : 

"  So  will  I,"  said  Charlie:  "  but  it  certainly 
makes  me  tired  just  to  think  of  it.  What  shall  we 
do  first,  Mrs.  Eansier  %  ' ' 

She  laughed.  "  I  cannot  tell  you,"  she  said, 
* '  and  now  that  you  are  really  going  to  try  it,  I  am 
willing  to  confess  that  I  think  that  you've  taken 
up  a  very  hard  task." 

"  Say,  motherkin,  that's  exactly  like  you," 
Fatty  burst  out.  "  Honest  fellows,  mother  is  the 
limit!  I  really  think  she  is!  That's  an  old  trick 
of  hers.  She  goads  you  into  doing  a  thing;  the 
harder  it  is  the  more  she  tries  to  make  you  do  it. 
Then  when  she's  made  you  think  you've  really  got 
to  do  it,  she  just  sits  back,  and  looks  pleased  and 
proud  and  worried  and  says :  i  Dear  me,  Will, 
what  a  wonderful  thing  for  you  to  think  up !  How 
ever  will  you  do  it?  '  Oh,  you  needn't  blush, 
mother :  I'm  on  to  your  curves !  " 

"I'm  blushing  for  you,  you  bad,  disrespectful 
child !  ' '  laughed  Mrs.  Eansier,  showing  a  full  set 
of  the  dimples  Fatty  loved.  "  And  I'm  so  cross 
that  I'm  going  right  back  to  stay  with  John!  " 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        79 

"  No,  you're  not,"  declared  Fatty,  firmly. 
*'  Now  you  have  settled  that  question  for  us,  you 
can  settle  another.  What  are  we  going  to  do 
about  Peters?  " 

"  Peters?  "  asked  Mrs.  Pansier  innocently, 
t '  Peters  ?    "Why,  what  about  Peters  \  ' ' 

- i  You  know  what  I  mean !  "  he  said. 

"  Oh,  do  you  mean  his  daughter?  Why  don't 
you  sag  what  you  mean,  Will  dear  ?  I  would  never 
I  have  guessed.  Well,  boys,  I  want  to  tell  you  all  I 
think  about  that  case.  You  have  heard  Peters ' 
!  side  of  it,  and  you  have  seen  the  little  girl.  I  have 
i  had  two  doctors  here  to  see  her.  Now,  boys,  they 
both  say  that  she  will  die.  If  she  had  been  taken 
to  the  woods  a  year  ago  she  might  have  lived. 
Poor,  poor  Peters,  when  he  took  her  into  that 
basement,  he  did  the  worst  thing  he  could  possibly 
have  done.  Of  course  he  does  not  know  this.  I 
think  that  he  would  go  crazy  if  he  should  think  it. 
That  child  is  all  the  little  man  has  to  live  for.  And 
the  doctors  say  she  will  die.  And  she  is  so  young 
and  so  pretty  and  so  sweet!  Her  mother  must 
have  been  a  very  superior  sort  of  person.  Boys, 
I  have  a  feeling  that  perhaps  the  doctors  are 
wrong  —  I  do  not  doubt  that  she  has  lung  trouble, 
and  I  am  sure  that  she  is  a  very,  very  sick  child ; 
but  I  think  that  if  you  boys  want  to  take  the  case, 
that  there  is  hope  for  her  yet. ' ' 

"  What  can  ive  do?  "  asked  Tony  anxiously. 

"I'll  tell  you,"  said  Mrs.  Pansier,  "  but  first 
if  you  will  listen  I  want  to  tell  you  a  story. 


i 

80        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

"  When  I  was  a  young  girl  I  spent  a  good  many 
of  my  summers  with  friends  in  the  North  Woods. 
Now  the  lady  with  whom  I  stayed  was  a  good,  good 
woman.  She  had  the  welfare  of  the  whole  eoun- 1 
tryside  close  to  her  heart;  and  one  day  she  said: 
'  Elizabeth,  there  is  a  young  girl  a  mile  from  here  j 
who  is  dying  with  consumption. ' 

' ■  I  said :  i  Why,  Mrs.  Laker,  I  did  not  think 
that  people  could  die  of  consumption  in  the  North 
Woods!  They  come  here  to  get  well,  do  they 
not?  ' 

"  'This  poor  child  is  dying  at  any  rate,'  said 
Mrs.  Laker.  l  She  is  poverty  poor  and  lives  in  a 
house  that  is  like  a  wood-shed.  No  plaster,  just 
unmatched  boards,  where  the  snow  drifts  through 
in  winter.  If  she  could  only  be  warmly  clothed 
and  decently  fed,  her  last  few  months  would  be 
easier,  at  least.' 

"  I  had  some  money  that  had  been  given  me, 
and  of  course  I  rushed  off  to  the  little  town  near  by 
and  bought  yards  and  yards  of  soft  red  flannel ;  so 
much  of  it  that  Mrs.  Laker  sighed  at  the  thought 
of  the  poor  girl  who  could  not  live  to  wear  it  out. 
Mrs.  Laker  volunteered  to  make  it  up  into  the 
needed  garments,  and  I  then  gave  the  rest  of  the 
money  to  Mrs.  Laker  for  groceries.  I  went  home 
a  day  or  two  later,  and  by-and-by  I  forgot  the  girl. 
You  see  I  had  never  seen  her.  Two  years  passed 
before  I  saw  dear  Mrs.  Laker  again.  Well,  seeing 
her  made  me  think  of  the  poor  girl,  and  I  asked 
how  long  she  had  lived. 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        81 

"  '  My  dear,  she  is  alive  and  well,  and  is  en- 
gaged to  be  married, '  said  Mrs.  Laker. 

"  '  Alive!  '  I  said.    \  Why,  didn't  she  die?  ' 

**  To  make  the  story  short,  boys,  all  the  poor 
girl  needed  was  sufficient  clothing.  When  that 
was  supplied,  her  poor,  little,  chilled  body 
gathered  sufficient  warmth  to  make  her  well. 

"  Now  the  case  we  have  on  hand  is  a  little  like 
that.  Alice  does  not  need  clothing;  but  she  does 
need  an  interest  in  life.  She  is  fading  away  for 
lack  of  it.  She  is  a  young  creature,  and  she  is  shut 
up  like  a  bird  in  a  cage.  She  has  absolutely  no 
companions.  She  has  nothing  to  fill  her  thoughts. 
She  is  too  weak  to  make  an  effort,  and  I  don't  see 
but  what  you  must  make  it  for  her. ' ' 

"  Oh,  mother,"  groaned  Fatty,  "  what  do  you 
want  us  to  do  ?  " 

"  Well,"  said  Mrs.  Ransier,  "  when  little  John 
was  so  hurt,  and  I  made  up  my  mind  what  ailed 
him,  I  went  to  work  to  do  what  seemed  best.  I  felt 
that  I  had  the  key  to  the  situation,  and  I  defied 
death,  I  wouldn't  let  him  die.  He  needed  me  as 
long  as  he  had  no  real  mother.  That  stupid  nurse 
might  have  done  as  well  if  she  had  had  eyes  to  see. 
He  wanted  loving. ' ' 

*  *  But  mother !  ' '  cried  Fatty  in  a  tone  of  agony. 

"  Oh  no,  my  dear  Alice  has  all  the  loving  she 
needs.  Poor  Peters  adores  her.  He  loves  her  so 
much  that  he  is  too  tender  to  her.  She  will  surely 
die  as  things  are,  unless  you  boys  make  a  great 


82        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

sacrifice,  and  give  her  the  change  and  companion-l 
ship  that  I  feel  she  needs.  Come,  boys,  isn't  it| 
worth  trying!  I  know  you  have  no  use  for  girlsj 
but  wouldn't  you  be  glad  to  think  that  long  ago! 
some  boy  had  saved  your  mother 's  life  1  '  '* 

"  Oh,   Lordy,   Lordy!  "   groaned  Fatty.     "  l| 
wish  she  was  at  the  bottom  of  ten  feet  of  water !  fj 

"  Why,  Will  Eansier,  what  a  wicked,  wichect 
thought, ' '  gasped  his  mother,  her  blue  eyes  flash-] 
ing. 

"  Why,  no,"  said  Will.  "  I  only  meant  that 
then  it  would  be  such  a  cinch  to  jump  in  and  bringl 
her  out.  I'm  strong  on  that  sort  of  life-savings 
Now,  mother,  come  right  out  and  tell  us  what  we* 
ought  to  do.  Make  it  good  and  plain  so  we  can 
make  up  our  minds  whether  we  can  do  it  or  not. 
As  far  as  I  can  see,  it's  an  awful  job  you're  put-^ 
ting  up  to  us. ' ' 

"  Not  too  hard  for  these  nice  boys  to  tackle,"' 
said  Mrs.  Eansier,  flashing  her  winning  smile  at 
the  three  discouraged  lads.  "  Not  one  bit  too 
hard  for  you  three.  And  it  will  do  you  good  as 
well  as  Alice.  Now  let  me  tell  you.  As  I  said,  the 
dear  girl  is  just  pining  for  lack  of  interest.  She 
came  here  to  Syrchester  sick  and  a  stranger :  and 
she  has  not  been  well  enough  to  make  a  single  girl 
friend.  If  you  boys  had  sisters  we  could  call  upon 
them  to  help  us :  but  boys,  you  are  Scouts !  Take 
hold  of  this  as  joyfully  and  cheerfully  as  you  would 
of  any  other  task,  and  as  you  would  say,  make 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        83 

good.  You,  Will,  can  take  her  for  short  rides 
every  day.  I  think  she  could  stand  it  if  you  went 
slowly  enough.  Tony  and  Charlie  can  visit  with 
her.  Only  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  a  day.  Tell  her 
about  Fred,  Tony,  'and  what  a  fine  fight  he  is  mak- 
ing to  get  well.  You,  Charlie,  can  interest  her  in 
physical  exercises:  and  you  will  doubtless  help 
her  more  than  either  of  the  others.  Take  up  a  task 
worthy  of  you,  my  Boy  Scouts;  defy  death,  and 
see  if  you  can  save  that  little  girl. ' ' 

i  i  Fierce !  But  I  guess  we  '11  have  to  pick  it  up, '  * 
said  Fatty. 

*i  Looks  so!  "  said  Charlie  gloomily. 

"  Why,  we  won't  mind,"  said  Tony.  "  I  have 
some  girl  cousins  and  they  are  real  nice.  I  don't 
mind  'em  at  all.  We  will  have  to  get  a  lot  of  fel- 
lows to  help  with  the  Carrolls,  but  let  us  three 
look  after  Peters'  little  girl.  What  do  you  sayf  " 

"  All  right,"  said  Charlie,  "  and  we'll  call  it 
the  Scout  Defiance :  so  we've  got  to  win  out." 


CHAPTER   VII 

THE  CAEEOLLS  LEARN  TO  MIX 

"  Why  wear  your  bestest  necktie,  son?  "  said 
Mrs.  Ransier  the  following  morning.  ' '  I  thought 
this  was  city-cleaning  day." 

"It  is,"  said  Fatty,  grimly,  "  and  it's  more 
than  that.  Didn't  you  hear  me  say  yesterday  that 
I  would  be  the  first  to  go  see  that  girl?  Say, 
mother,  what  do  you  talk  to  'em  about  anyway? 
If  I  could  only  paint  hair-receivers  like  DeForest, 
I  could  show  her  them.  I'm  going  to  call:  but 
she 's  going  to  do  the  talking  or  there  '11  be  a  frost. 
I  guess  all  I  ever  said  to  a  girl  in  my  life  was 
*•  hello.'  That  is,  unless  I  was  made  to.  This 
would  be  pie  for  Clement  and  DeForest." 

"  That  is  just  the  reason  you  need  the  expe- 
rience, my  dear,"  said  Mrs.  Ransier,  earnestly. 
f*  You  think  that  Clement  and  DeForest  are  great 
jokes ;  yet  they  are  perfectly  at  ease  when  you  are 
utterly  lost.  I  hate  to  think  that  my  son,  who  can 
ride  and  swim  and  shoot  and  is  growing  up  to  be 
a,  true  sportsman,  is  unable  to  talk  easily  and 
pleasantly  for  half  an  hour  with  a  strange  lady." 

u  Gee,  that's  straight  from  the  shoulder, 
mother !  ' '  laughed  Fatty. 

"It  is  meant  to  be,"  said  Mrs.  Ransier.    "  I 

84 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        85 

would  be  very  happy  to  have  you  gain  the  ease 
and  grace  of  the  Carroll  boys,  without  their  silly 
and  affected  ways." 

"  Well,  I'm  certainly  prepared  to  do  my  best,  at 
any  rate, ' '  said  Fatty. 

"  Then  yo2  will  succeed,  my  dear." 

Fatty's  confidence  in  himself  oozed  more  and 
more  as  he  approached  the  Peters'  door.  He 
walked  up.  Somehow,  he  did  not  want  to  take  the 
elevator,  and  talk  to  Peters. 

He  reached  the  door  and  pushed  the  button, 
hastily  glancing  at  his  watch.  He'd  tell  her  he 
had  an  engagement  in  fifteen  minutes. 

The  latch  clicked.  At  any  rate  he  didn't  mind 
the  nurse,  and  perhaps  the  girl  was  too  tired  to 
see  anybody.  Fatty  looked  up  hopefully  as  the 
door  opened. 

6 •  Good  morning !  ' '  said  Alice  Peters. 

"  Oh,  good  morning!  "  stammered  Fatty. 
"  Are  you  at  home?  I  mean  I  thought  I'd  come 
up  and  ask  how  you  felt.  I'm  Fat  —  I  mean  I'm 
Will  Eansier!  " 

"  Come  in,"  said  Alice.  "  I  thought  that  you 
were  Will  Eansier.  I've  heard  my  father  talk  of 
you.    I'm  feeling  very  well,  thank  you." 

She  led  the  way  into  the  sunny  sitting-room, 
and  sat  down  facing  him.  In  the  next  room  the 
nurse  moved  busily  about.  Alice  sat  looking  at 
him  quietly. 

"  ItVa  nice  day,"  she  said. 


86         THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

"Fine!  "  said  Fatty. 

He  laid  his  hat  on  the  floor,  then  immediately; 
picked  it  up. 

' ■  Dandy !  ' '  he  said,  looking  ont  of  the  window. 
That  gave  him  an  idea.  "  Do  you  like  automo- 
biling?  "  he  asked. 

"  I've  never  ridden  in  one,"  said  Alice. 

"  Is  that  so?  "  said  Fatty.  "  Mother  says  — 
that  is,  I'm  going  to  —  I  mean,  would  you  like  to 
go  some  day?  " 

"  Indeed  I  would!  "  said  Alice  eagerly. 
"  Only  I  don't  believe  I  could.    I  get  so  tired." 

"  Oh,  it  will  rest  you,"  Fatty  assured  her. 

There  was  a  long  pause.  Fatty  couldn't  think 
of  anything  more  to  say  about  automobiles. 
Games  —  perhaps  she  liked  games. 

M  Did  you  ever  play  hockey?  "  he  inquired. 

"  No,"  said  Alice,  "  I  don't  know  what  it  is." 

"  Great  game!  "  said  Fatty. 

"  I  never  had  a  chance  to  learn,"  said  Alice. 
4  *  Is  it  anything  like  checkers  ?  ' ' 

Fatty  looked  at  her  with  a  sigh.  "  No,  not  a 
bit,"  he  replied. 

"  What  do  you  like  to  do  best?  "  said  Alice. 

"  Swim,"  promptly.  "  Next  to  that  I  like  to 
ride  horseback  and  shoot.    But  I'd  rather  swim." 

"  It  must  be  wonderful,"  said  Alice.  "  How 
do  you  make  your  arms  go?  " 

* l  Dead  easy !  ' '  Fatty  said. 

Once  more  he  put  down  his  hat.    Then  he  kicked 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        87 

it  under  his  chair  out  of  the  way,  and  proceeded 
to  tell  Alice  how  to  swim.  He  explained  the  dif- 
ferent strokes,  and  told  her  how  to  dive.  He  was 
a  good  talker,  was  Fatty  Eansier,  and  he  led  her 
down,  down  to  smooth,  sandy  places  where  the> 
water  weeds  grow  and  the  startled  fishes  leap 
away.  He  told  her  about  the  accident  at  Fishers 
Point,  and  she  shuddered  at  the  account  of  Foxy 
jPeck  lying  crumpled  up  on  the  sand,  fifteen 
feet  down.  He  gave  all  the  credit  of  the  saving 
to  Tony ;  but  because  she  was  a  girl,  and  because 
he  told  her,  she  did  not  believe  a  word  of  it  and 
regarded  him  from  that  moment  as  a  hero.  When 
the  nurse  came  in  with  a  glass  of  malted  milk  for 
Alice,  Fatty  looked  at  the  clock  and  then  con- 
sulted his  watch.  "  What's  the  matter  with  those 
! things?  "  he  demanded  of  no  one  in  particular. 
"It's  not  as  late  as  that.  I've  only  been  here 
about  fifteen  minutes,  haven't  If  " 

"  I  think  the  clocks  are  right,"  smiled  the 
nurse,  and  Fatty  got  himself  out  without  acci- 
dent, and  dashed  down  the  stairs  two  steps  at  a 
time  and  burst  in  upon  his  mother. 

"  Well,  that's  done,"  he  said*  undoing  his  best 
tie. 

"  Poor  dear,  it  took  a  long  time,  didn't  it?  It 
must  have  been  such  a  bore." 

"  Well,  honest,  mother,  it  really  wasn't  a  bore! 
That  Alice  girl  isn't  silly  like  lots  of  'em,  and 
she's  an  awful  good  talker,"  said  honest  Fatty, 


88        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

never  realizing  that  for  the  last  three-quarters  of7 
an  hour  of  his  call,  Alice  had  had  no  chance  to 
say  more  than  "  My!  "  and  "  Oh!  "  at  intervals. 

It  was  the  day  set  for  the  great  city-cleaning 
crusade :  and  every  Scout  in  the  city  had  been  or- 
dered out,  to  assist.  Fatty  was  hours  late,  but 
soon  found  the  other  fellows,  dirty  and  happy, 
digging  out  the  unsavory  rear  of  a  little  grocery 
on  Dawley  Street  near  by.  Five  or  six  strange 
Scouts  worked  with  them. 

"  Say,"  called  Chuck  as  soon  as  Fatty  came 
within  hailing  distance,  "  where  you  been?  " 

"  Went  up  and  called  at  the  Peters',"  said 
Patty,  mysteriously. 

"  Well,  for  cat's  sake!  "  said  Chuck.  "  Did 
you  stay  al^morning!  What  are  we  up  against, 
anyhow?    Is  it  fierce!  " 

"  Haw!  "  said  Fatty.  "  Guess  we  can  do  the 
trick  all  right." 

"  Fine!  "  said  Tony.    "  I  thought  we  could." 

"  Say,"  said  Chuck  again,  "  what  do  you  think 
those  crazy  Carroll  kids  are  up  to  to-day?  They 
are  out  with  the  fellows  cleaning  things  up." 

"  What  for!  "  gasped  Fatty.  "  It's  n*>t  their 
funeral!  " 

"  It  may  be,  at  that,"  grinned  Charlie.  *  They 
are  down  on  Barnet  Avenue  now.  TheyVe  got 
©n  sweaters  and  old  pasts,  and  they  wanted  to  go 
into  Hie  worst  lf>caMty  I  knew  about." 

"  Wly,  what  ails  #ie  idiots?  "  said  Faifft 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        89 

"  They  said  they  had  talked  it  over,  and  had 
decided  to  go  in  on  this  and  see  if  they  were  really 
fitted  for  Scouts.  I  told  'em  to  begin  on  some- 
thing easy.  Why,  great  Scott,  this  is  no  work  to 
break  them  in  on!  They  are  stubborn  brutes, 
though,  and  said  that  was  the  reason,  they  might 
as  well  try  the  most  distasteful  thing  going. 
Then  they  would  know  if  they  could  stick  it  out. ' * 

"  Did  they  say  distasteful?  "  asked  Fatty. 

"  Course:  you  didn't  think  2"  did,  did  you?  " 
growled  Chuck.  "  So  I  sent  'em  down  on  Barnet 
Avenue,  where  they'll  most  likely  get  their  heads 
punched  if  they  are  not  careful.  Well,  we  are 
through  here,  and  I  say  we  go  down  and  have  a 
squint  at  the  boy  wonders,  and  see  how  they  are 
turning  out." 

As  the  boys  turned  into  Barnet  Avenue  they 
saw,  a  block  ahead,  a  shouting  crowd. 

"  Bet  it's  the  boys,"  cried  Chuck,  beginning  to 
run. 

As  they  dashed  up  and  pushed  their  way  in, 
they  beheld  Clement  Carroll  facing  a  big  rowdy, 
whose  blotched  face  was  crimson  with  rage. 
Clement  was  carefully  rearranging  his  tie  and  un- 
buttoning his  sweater. 

"  You  don't  do  no  cleaning  in  my  back  yard, 
you  don't!  "  roared  the  big  fellow.  "  You  fat 
little  fool,  you,  keep  out  of  my  place,  and  keep 
your  pals  out  or  I'll  do  you  good!" 

"  Sorry,"   said   Clement  in  his  high,   girlisli 


90        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

voice,  "  awfully  sorry,  old  chap,  but  weVe  got 
to  do  it.  You  really  ought  to  assist  us.  Your 
place  is  certainly  very  unsanitary,  you  know.  * ' 

"  Don't  you  call  my  place  names!  "  yelled  the 
big  boy.  "  You  better  find  a  better  name  than 
that  and  find  it  quick,  or  I'll  push  your  face  in 
for  you," 

"  Well,  it's  rotten  then,  if  you  prefer,"  said 
Clement,  calmly.  "  And  I  think  we'll  go  in  now 
and  clean  up,  since  you  haven't  the  decency  to  do 
it  yourself,"  and  he  turned  to  go. 

The  fellow  gave  a  roar  and,  leaping  forward, 
launched  a  heavy  blow.  It  struck  Clement  on  the 
neck,  and  staggered  him. 

Chuck  took  a  step  forward  and  Fatty  jerked 
him  back. 

i  l  Let  him  alone !  "  he  whispered. 

Clement  looked  the  bully  over. 

"  Very  unsportsmanlike!"  he  piped,  reprov- 
ingly. He  undid  his  tie,  put  it  in  his  cap  and 
handed  them  to  DeForest,  who  stood  near,  pale 
and  silent.  Then  he  took  off  his  sweater.  He  but- 
toned his  left  glove  and  stepped  up  to  the  sneer- 
ing bully. 

"  I  hate  to  touch  you,"  he  remarked,  "  but 
really  you  need  a  good  thrashing." 

The  fellow  roared  and  came  at  him.  To  Chuck's 
surprise,  Clement  parried  the  blow  prettily,  and 
came  back  with  a  lunge  that  took  the  fellow  in  the 
left  eye,  but  he  drove  a  terrific  right  hander,  fol- 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        91 

lowed  by  a  left  which  caught  poor  Clement  on  his 
round  nose,  and  covered  him  with  a  freely  flow- 
ing stream  of  blood. 

Clement  turned  pale. 

"He's  sick,"  said  Fatty. 

"No!"  gasped  DeForest.  "Oh  dear,  he's 
losing  his  temper !    Oh  dear !  ' ' 

Clement  was  losing  his  temper.  Once  more  the 
bully  drove  home  on  Clement -'s  eye.  It  closed.  A 
look  new  to  the  boys  came  into  his  face.  He  be- 
gan to  remember  his  lessons.  Blow  after  blow 
he  rained  upon  the  big  fellow,  whose  wind  was 
beginning  to  leave  him.  Clement  seemed  fresher 
every  instant.  It  was  evident  that  the  stranger 
was  trying  for  a  clinch,  but  Clement  fooled  him. 

A  blow  under  the  ear  sent  Clement  to  his  knees, 
but  he  scrambled  up  and  dashed  under  his  op- 
ponent's arm  before  he  could  follow  it  up. 

Watching  his  chance,  Clement  circled  around 
his  foe,  then  sent  a  crashing  right  against  the 
point  of  the  rowdy's  chin.  He  crumpled  up  and 
went  down  in  a  heap.  Chuck  leaped  in  and  threw 
both  arms  around  Clement. 

"Oh  glory,  glory!"  he  cried,  "that  was 
lovely!  Wait  until  I  tell  father.  Say,  why 
didn't  you  fight  like  that  before?  " 

"  Never  needed  to !    Did  I  hurt  him  much?  " 

"He's  pretty  groggy,  but  he'll  come  —  Gee, 
here's  the  patrol!  "  cried  Fatty,  leaping  to  his 
feet  as  the  big,  covered  automobile  came  clanging 
down  the  street.    Two  policemen  leaped  out. 


92        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

"  Boy  Scouts,  eh?  "  said  one,  looking  at  them. 
16  Nice  work  for  yon,  I  must  say!  This  fellow 
has  had  an  awful  crack.  Did  you  give  him 
that!  "  looking  at  Clement. 

* '  Certainly, ' '  said  Clement  through  his  swollen 
nose.  "  And  I  meant  to  do  bore,  obly  he  didn't 
stad  ub  log  enough. ' ' 

*  *  Well,  you  are  a  bloodthirsty  young  savage ! 
You  can  come  and  tell  the  Captain  about  it. 
O'Connors,  did  you  see  this!  Get  in!  And  you, 
too !  ' '  he  added,  indicating  Fatty  and  Tony,  and 
two  other  boys  who  were  not  in  Scout  uniform. 

"  Eud  hobe  and  get  be  sub  clean  hadker- 
chiefs,"  called  Clement  to  his  brother  who  hur- 
ried at  once  toward  Paul  Street,  bearing  his 
brother's  cap. 

At  the  station  the  two  policemen  took  the  big 
fellow,  who  still  was  wobbly  on  his  legs  and  as- 
sisted him  in  to  the  Captain.  Clement  followed, 
Fatty  and  Chuck  on  either  side,  and  the  two 
strangers  close  in  the  rear. 

The  Captain  leaned  back  in  his  chair  for  a 
long  time  looking  at  the  boys. 

"  Well,  you  are  sights!  "  he  said. 

"  Good  bordig!  "  said  Clement,  politely. 

"  Good  bordig  yourself!  "  said  the  Captain 
with  a  twinkle  in  his  eyes.  Clement  stood  waiting 
the  Captain's  next  move.  His  own  father  would 
not  have  known  him.  His  soft  white  shirt  was 
smeared  with  dirt  and  blood.     One  sleeve  was 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE        93 

torn  almost  out.  His  left  eye  was  closed,  and  his 
nose  looked  like  a  red  pincushion.  He  still  wore 
his  gloves,  but  the  right  one  was  split  across  the 
knuckle.  The  leathery  face  of  his  foe  had  not 
suffered  so  much,  but  he  looked  ragged  enough  at 
that,  and  swayed  unsteadily. 

"  He  liked  to  killed  me,  Cap,"  he  said,  point- 
ing to  Clement.  "  He  came  near  busting  my 
jaw. ' ' 

"  "What  made  him  attack  you?  " 

"  It's  more  than  I  kin  tell  you,"  said  the  boy. 
I  I  was  sittin'  on  our  steps  and  this  snide  comes 
up  and  he  says, i  Git  out  o'  here!  '  and  kicks  me." 

"  Oh,  really!  "  said  Clement.  "Do  please 
stick  to  facts!    You  know  that's  not  true." 

"  Hope  I  may  die  if  it  ain't,  Cap!  "  urged  the 
boy. 

f l  Let 's  see !  Your  name  is  Branders,  Bill 
Branders,  isn't  it?  "  said  the  Captain.  "  And 
you  know  me,  don't  you,  Bill?  Well,  we'll  see 
what  these  other  boys  say.  Did  you  see  the 
scrap,  fellows?  " 

"Yes,  sir,"  said  the  group. 

"All  right.  Let's  hear  your  story,  Charlie; 
you  ought  to  have  the  hang  of  it. ' ' 

Charlie  stepped  to  the  desk,  and  gave  a  clear 
account  of  the  whole  affair,  the  boys  agreeing 
with  every  particular. 

"  Well,  Bill,"  asked  the  Captain  when  they  had 
finished,  "  what  have  you  to  say  to  that?    You're 


94        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

under  suspended  sentence  now,  aren't  you?  I 
guess  you'll  have  to  go  to  see  Judge  Grove:  and 
let  me  tell  you  that  I  shall  tell  him  that  you  need 
a  good  hard  jolt.'  I  wish  I  could  give  it  to  you. 
I  tell  you,  Bill,  I'd  enjoy  it!  " 

Bill  began  to  whimper.  "  Say,  Cap,"  he  said, 
"  this  ain't  fair!  AH  these  kids  are  lyin'.  I 
ain't  got  no  friends  here  to  tell  how  he  fit  me 
first." 

' '  Take  him  along, ' '  said  the  Captain.  i '  He 's 
the  biggest  nuisance  in  the  whole  ward. ' ' 

Bill  was  led  off  muttering,  until  the  policeman 
at  his  elbow  gave  him  a  sharp  shake. 

"  Better  get  right  home,  Carroll,  and  fix  up  J 
your  face.    I'll  hold  you  to  appear  when  wanted. 
You  stay  here  a  moment,  the  rest  of  you." 

"  If  you  will  allow  be,  Cabtain,  I'll  use  your 
telephode,"  said  the  disfigured  Clement,  in  his 
own  easy  manner.  "  I  think  I'd  bedder  call  a 
taxi." 

v  Wouldn't  an  ambulance  be  better?  "  laughed 
the  Captain. 

"  Do,  I'b  all  right,"  said  Clement.  "  I  odly 
hobe  my  brother  has  told  my  bother  about  it. ' ' 

"  It  will  kind  of  give  your  mother  a  set-back, 
won't  it?  "  said  Fatty.  "  Say,  Clement,  while 
the  taxi's  coming,  wish  you'd  tell  what  ever  got 
into  you  to  go  on  such  a  crazy  bat  anyhow. ' ' 

"  Yes,  it's  out  of  your  line,  isn't  it,  Carroll?  " 
asked  the  Captain. 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE        95 

"  Dot  ady  bore,"  said  Clement.  "  See  my 
father  wanted  be  to  be  a  Boy  Scout.  I  told  De- 
Forest  that  it  would  be  well  to  try  it  sobhow  to 
see  if  we  liked  it.  We  couldn't  think  of  anything 
more  disagreeable  and  dirty  than  this  cleaning 
affair,  so  we  cabe  out  and  took  a  hand.  Thed  I 
bet  by  friend  and  I  really  had  to  thrash  him. '  ? 

"  Yes,  you  did,"  said  Chuck.  "  I  thought  I 
was  going  to  have  to  do  it  myself,  at  first:  you 
were  so  polite  and  so  slow  getting  to  work. ' ' 

' l  Well, '  \  said  Clement,  ' '  a  fellow  has  to  be 
polite;  and  I  wouldn't  spoil  that  tie:  it  was  a 
present  from  a  young  lady.  She  bade  it  herself. 
See  if  I  hadn't-  taken  it  off,  old  chap,  it  would 
have  been  spoiled!  " 

"  It  sure  would!  "  said  the  Captain,  looking  at 
the  red  shirt  front.    "  It  sure  would!  " 

Clement,  riding  home  in  the  taxi,  was  in  pain 
but  happy.  A  new  force  stirred  within  him.  He 
felt  thinner,  straighter,  more  of  a  man.  It  was 
very  strange.  He  certainly  disliked  to  fight,  and 
was  disgusted  at  his  condition:  but  he  had  found 
out  that  he  could  fight  and  he  would  never  feel 
the  same  again.  He  buttoned  the  sweater  closely 
over  his  chest,  drew  Fatty's  cap  over  his  disfig- 
ured face  and  trotted  into  the  Alhambra  and  up 
the  one  flight  to  the  Carroll  apartment.  His 
mother  opened  the  door,  looked  at  her  eldest  born 
;  and  burst  into  a  fresh  flood  of  tears. 

"  Oh,  Clement,  Clement!  "  she  wailed.  "  How 
could  vou  do  Hi  " 


96        THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE 

"  Dever  bind  by  looks,  bother,"  said  Clement. 
"  It  was  dot  as  bad  as  I  look  and  soud." 

Dr.  Carroll  put  bis  band  on  tbe  boy 's  shoulder 
and  turned  him  to  the  light.  "  Nothing  the  mat- 
ter with  him,  Celeste !  He  '11  be  all  right  in  a  day 
or  two.  Why,  these  are  honorable  scars!  I 
didn't  waste  the  money  I  gave  Kid  O'Connors, 
did  I,  son?  " 

"  No,  you  didn't,  father,"  said  DeForest. 
"  Why,  that  fellow  would  have  killed  Clement  if 
he  hadn't  had  boxing  lessons.  He  was  heavier, 
and  half  a  head  taller.  I  tell  you  I  was  frightened 
at  first,  but  Clement  was  perfectly  calm. ' ' 

"  I  had  to  be,"  said  Clement.  "  It  was  a  bally 
nuisance  fighting  like  that  in  the  street.  I  felt 
awfully  common  for  a  bidute,  then  I  thought, 
<Bix,  Clemed,  bix!  >  " 

"  You  thought  what?  "  cried  the  doctor, 
."Mix,"    explained    DeForest.    "  Don't    you 
know  that's  always  what  you  are  telling  us  to 
do?" 

The  doctor  roared.  "  Well,  you  mixed  all 
right  this  time,  son,"  he  said,  patting  Clement  on 
the  back.  "  Now  let's  fix  that  face  —  I'm  too 
proud  to  find  that  you  are  a  real  boy  to  want  it 
spoiled!  " 

He  took  Clement  by  the  arm  and  went  with  him 
to  the  bathroom.  "  By  George!  "  he  said.  "It's 
going  to  be  convenient  to  have  a  sawbones  for  a 
daddy  if  you  are  going  to  '  mix  '  very  often." 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE        97 

Mrs.  Carroll,  who  had  stopped  to  listen,  again 
broke  into  loud  sobs.  "  Oh,  DeForest,"  she 
wept,  "  I  have  given  up  my  life  to  you  boys!  I 
cannot  believe  that  after  all  my  years  of  teaching, 
and  of  protecting  you  from  evil  influences,  that 
MY  SON  could  return  to  me  in  such  a  condition. 
It  is  really  unbelievable.  Sometimes,  DeForest, 
I  fear  that  your  father  has  low  instincts  which 
are  cropping  out  in  Clement.  Why,  his  whole 
manner  is  changed!  " 

"  Sure  thing!  "  said  DeForest,  cruelly;  "it's 
a  good  thing  for  him.  I've  learned  a  lot  today 
—  I  want  to  mix,  too !  " 

His  mother  covered  her  eyes.  "  Leave  me!  " 
she  cried.  "  I  cannot  bear  it.  Tell  Marie  to 
bring  me  a  cup  of  strong  tea. ' ' 

DeForest  went  to  the  bathroom  and  reported 
the  conversation.  Presently  the  doctor  came  out, 
still  smiling,  and  found  his  wife,  teacup  in  one 
hand  and  smelling  salts  in  the  other;  while  on 
her  knee,  ready  for  use,  was  a  dry  handkerchief. 

"  Celeste,  you  are  making  a  mistake,"  said  the 
doctor  gently.  "  But  it  is  not  your  fault  wholly. 
You  are  like  many  American  women, —  you  have 
been  too  sheltered  and  cared  for  to  be  able  to 
realize  the  stern  necessities  of  a  boy's  up-bring- 
ing. It  is  the  happiest  moment  of  my  life  today 
to  find  that  Clement,  whom  I  considered  a  pretty 
poor  specimen  of  a  hoy,  was  ready  and  wilMng 
and  properly  equipped  to  do  the  right  thing  at  the 


98        THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

right  time.  He  may  never  have  to  fight  again  as 
long  as  he  lives:  but  at  least  he  knows  that  he 
can  fight.  He  has  started  now,  and  he  '11  learn  the 
other  needful  lessons."  • 

The  doctor  cleared  his  throat.  "  It  makes  me 
proud,  my  dear,  to  think  that  in  a  very  few  years 
I  shall  be  the  father  of  a  man." 

As  he  finished,  a  loud  crash  resounded  from  De- 
Forest's  room. 

"  What  fell?  "  called  the  doctor. 

"  Nothing,"  assured  DeForest.  "  I  just 
smashed  my  hair-receivers !  '  \ 

"  Why,  I'll  have  two  men  for  sons!  "  said  the 
doctor,  proudly. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

THE  CONFESSIONS  AT  THE  FAIR 

Some  time  after  the  famous  fight,  Doctor  Car* 
roll  and  Mr.  Ransier  met  on  the  steps  of  the  Al- 
hambra. 

"  Haven't  seen  you  for  some  time,"  said  Mr. 
Ransier  as  the  men  shook  hands. 

* '  No ;  a  doctor  leads  a  very  uncertain  life, '  ! 
said  Dr.  Carroll.  "  Our  boys  see  each  other 
often,  however.  They  seem  thoroughly  to  enjoy 
each  other's  society." 

"  Yes,  they  have  great  times  .  together," 
laughed  Mr.  Ransier. 

"  You  have  heard  the  latest,  of  course,"  said 
the  doctor.  "  I  mean  their  plan  for  securing 
the  concessions  for  the  popcorn  booths  and  check- 
rooms at  the  State  Fair  ?  ' ' 

"  Yes,"  said  Mr.  Ransier.  "  Will  mentioned 
in  an  offhand  way  that  they  were  negotiating 
for  them,  and  I  hurried  around  to  see  the  Fair 
Commissioner  in  order  to  give  them  some  finan- 
cial backing,  if  necessarj^ibut  they  had  arranged 
it  all  themselves.    They  are  a  great  lot,  doctor!  " 

' i  They  certainly  are !  We  will  have  to  go  over 
and  buy  popcorn,  at  least.  To  tell  the  truth,  I 
think  that  their  care,  and  the  new  interests  they 

99 


100      THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

have  presented  to  Alice  Peters,  will  save  her  life. 
There  is  a  doctor  at  Wild  Wood  Inn,  where  she  is 
staying,  and  he  and  I  keep  in  touch  all  the  time. 
He  is  very  favorably  impressed  by  her  improve- 
ment. The  child  has  a  remarkable  way  of  mak- 
ing friends.  I  do  not  believe  Miss  Simmonds,  her 
nurse,  could  be  induced  to  leave  her.  If  she  has 
no  set-back,  I  think  she  has  a  fair  chance  of  life. 
I  will  go  up  myself  in  October  and  look  her  over 
carefully.  In  the  meantime,  it  is  keeping  the  boys 
hustling  to  meet  their  share  of  her  expenses. 
But  it  is  good  for  them ;  very  good  for  them !  It 
gives  ^them  a  taste  of  responsibility  and  an  un- 
derstanding sense  of  life.  I  shall  regret  very 
much  if  we  lose  our  little  patient,  for  the  boys 
would  always  feel  that  they  had  not  made  suffi- 
cient efforts." 

"  Decidedly  we  must  not  lose  her,"  said  Mr. 
Eansier.  "  What  is  there  that  could  be  done, 
that  has  not  been  tried?  " 

"  Not  one  thing,"  said  Dr.  Carroll.  "  I  think 
that  your  wife 's  wisdom  has  saved  the  day  in  fill- 
ing the  child's  life  with  new  interests.  At  pres- 
ent the  fact  that  she  must  help  to  look  after  little 
John  keeps  her  from  tj^nking  of  herself.  I  am 
convinced  that  your  wife  sent  him  up  there  for 
-that  purpose;" 

"  She  is  quite  equal  to  it,"  said  Mr.  Eansier. 
<"  Well,  if  I  can  do  anything,  why,  call  upon  me. 
I  think  our  kids  will  do  well  at  the  Fair,  and  we 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE      101 

must  certainly  ride  over  and  see  them.  I  have  a 
friend  from  Lexington  who  is  to  bring  up  a  string 
of  horses.  We  are  to  have  some  running  races 
.this  year,  I  believe.  If  DeWolfe  comes,  we  will 
see  some  beautiful  animals.' '   , 

"  I'd  like  very  much  to  see  them,"  said  Dr. 
Carroll.  "  There's  nothing  I  like  quite  as  much 
as  a  fine  horse.  I  have  not  told  my  boys,  but  I 
mean  to  get  them  each  a  riding  horse  this  fall. 
I  wish  to  show  them  some  practical  proof  of  my 
pride  in  the  change  that  I  see  in  them.  I  owe  it 
largely  to  your  son,  Ransier." 

"  Not  at  all!  "  said  Mr.  Ransier.  "  There  is 
good  stuff  —  fine  stuff  in  your  sons,  doctor,  and 
I  don't  doubt  that  the  Boy  Scouts  brought  it  out 
more  rapidly  than  it  would  otherwise  have  ap- 
peared. Well,  we  will  go  to  the  Fair  together 
then,  doctor,  so  cure  your  sick  people  all  up  in 
good  season."  * 

"  I  will,  I  will,"  said  the  doctor. 

In  arranging  for  Alice  to  go  to  the  North 
Woods,  Mrs.  Ransier  had  offered  to  pay  all  the 
expense  of  the  nurse,  Peters  paid  for  the  child's 
medicines,  and  the  boys  assumed  the  burden  of 
her  board  and  other  expenses.  There  were  five 
of  them  now,  for  the  Carrolls,  who  were  now  Ten- 
derfoot Scouts  in  good  standing,  had  begged  to 
help  on  the  plea  that  Peters  was  their  janitor  as 
well  as  Fatty's.  It  was  well  that  the  boys  did 
join  forces,  because  there  was  always  ten  dol- 


102      THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

lars  a  week  to  be  earned  for  Alice's  board,  be- 
sides a  reserve  fund  which  Fatty  decided  was 
necessary  for  unexpected  expenses.  They  had 
been  obliged  to  deposit  quite  a  sum  as  guarantee 
of  good  faith  when  they  secured  the  popcorn  and 
checkroom  privileges  at  the  fairgrounds,  and 
their  treasury  was  now  empty,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  loans  secured  from  Tony's  and  Fatty's  own 
bank  accounts. 

"  Never  mind,  we'll  go  the  whole  dog,"  de- 
clared Fatty,  in  one  of  their  frequent  consulta- 
tions. *  *  If  it  breaks  us,  all  right  —  but  we  stand 
to  make  a  bunch  of  money.  Why,  we've  got  to! 
Now  the  only  thing  to  do  is  to  just  hustle. ' ' 

They  did  so,  and  the  morning  of  the  Fair  found 
every  popcorn  stand  on  the  fairgrounds  in  charge 
of  white  jacketed  Scouts.  Fatty,  who  had  been 
unanimously  chosen  manager,  walked  nervously, 
from  one  place  to  the  other,  directing  and  ex- 
plaining. The  two  Carrolls  had  charge  of  the  big 
checkroom  at  the  entrance.  The  first  half  of 
the  first  day  of  State  Fair  week  is  always  de- 
pressingly  dull  and  quiet;  and  the  boys  passed 
through  anxious  hours  as  the  hot  popcorn  piled 
up  with  but  few  buyers.  Fatty  made  his  rounds 
ofterier,  and  his  words  were  cheering,  but  he 
fretted  inwardly.  Still  he  did  not  despair.  Fatty 
was  always  filled  with  a  conviction  that  he  would 
succeed. 

A  number  of  the  Lafavette  Scouts  had  volun- 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE      103 

teered  their  services,  well  repaid  by  the  fun  of 
the  venture.  One  of  the  most  important  stands  in 
the  centre  of  the  grounds  Fatty  had  put  in  charge 
of  Spider  Morrison  and  Geezer  Eeed,  with  the 
feeling  that  Spider's  jolly  face  and  funny  lisp, 
and  Geezer's  dry  wit  would  draw  trade.  It  cer- 
tainly did  so.  Spider,  willing  to  do  his  best  for 
the  cause,  used  his  lisp  for  a  drawing  card,  and 
rent  the  air  with  his  calls. 

During  the  afternoon  trade  picked  up,  and  by; 
four  o'clock  the  boys  were  all  busy.  Tuesday 
morning  things  started  off  rather  more  briskly, 

\  and  late  that  afternoon  the  boys  were  working  in 
grim  silence. 

During  the  afternoon  Fatty  went  over  to  the 
paddock  to  look  at  the  horses  belonging  to  Mr. 
DeWolfe,  his  father's  friend  from  Kentucky. 
Fatty  had  never  seen  Mr.  DeWolfe,  but  it  was 
easy  to  recognize  the  gentleman  who  was  raging 
and  stamping  up  and  down  outside  the  stall  of  a 
hooded  and  blanketed  pacer.  Fatty  sidled  up 
and  proceeded  to  listen. 

"  Outrageous,  suh,  perfectly  outrageous!  "  he 
roared  at  the  short,  fat  man,  evidently  a  trainer, 
who  stood  sulkily  chewing  a  straw.     "  Piece  of 

I  absolute   carelessness!     You   should  have  kept 
hold  of  that  nigger  every  step  of  the  way  No'th. 

,  I  should  have  brought  him  myself.    The  idea  of 

'  lettin'  him  fall  off  the  cah  right  heah  m  Syrches- 
ter,  and  break  his  mizzeble  laig!  " 


104      THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

"  Why,  Cunnil,  we  couldn't  help  it,"  replied 
the  trainer. 

The  Colonel  was  too  angry  to  hear. 

"  Heah  I  am  tryin'  to  show  these  No'therners  a 
real  runnin'  race,  heah  I've  risked  bringin' 
Sweet  Alice  up  heah  in  all  this  heat,  and 
there's  nobody  I'd  trust  to  ride  her.  I'd  give 
one  thousand  dollars  for  a  good  jockey  who  would 
win  that  race !  ' ' 

Fatty's  eyes  bulged.  "  Peters!  "  he  whispered 
to  himself.  He  stepped  before  the  raging  Col- 
onel and  lifted  his  hat. 

"  Colonel  DeWolfe?  "  he  inquired,  with  an  air 
that  even  the  polite  Carrolls  might  have  envied. 

"  Yes,  suh!  What  is  it?  "  exploded  the  Col- 
onel, scarcely  glancing  at  him. 

"  Did  you  mean  what  you  just  said  about  a 
jockey,  sir?  " 

1 '  I  suttenly  did !  ' '  said  the  Colonel. 

"  Well,"  said  Fatty,  "I'll  bring  you  a  first- 
class  jockey  in  two  hours.  If  he  is  satisfactory, 
will  you  stick  to  the  bargain?  " 

"  On  the  word  of  a  gentleman,  my  boy!  "said 
the  Colonel,  the  frown  clearing  from  his  brow. 

"  Very  well,  sir,"  said  Fatty,  and  left  the  pad- 
dock, his  brain  in  a  whirl.  Hurrying  through  the 
entrance,  he  heard  a  clear  voice  hail  him. 

"  Where  away,  Will?  "  it  called.  There  in  the 
line  of  automobiles  just  passing  in  at  the  great 
arched  gateway  was  his  father's  car.    He  dashed 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE      105 

up  to  it,  hastily  greeted  his  mother  and  Mrs.  Car- 
roll, and  cried: 

"  Oh,  father,  will  you  give  me  this  car  for  an 
hour?  " 

"  What's  the  matter?  "  asked  his  father. 
"Did  you  forget  something?  " 

"No,"  said  Fatty  earnestly.  "It's  the  big- 
gest deal  I  ever  carried  through,  if  I  do  get  away 
with  it.    I  can't  stop  to  tell  you." 

"  Ladies,"  said  Dr.  Carroll,  "  you  surely 
would  not  stand  in  the  way  of  a  great  financial 
deal,  would  you?  " 

"  Decidedly  not,"  said  Mrs.  Carroll,  rising. 
* i  Let 's  give  up  the  car,  by  all  means !  ' ' 

"  Oh,  thank  you  ever  so  much!  "  said  Fatty, 
hurrying  to  open  the  doors.  Laughing  at  his 
prompt  acceptance,  they  vacated  the  machine. 

i l  Back  home !  ' '  cried  Fatty  to  the  chauffeur, 
and  waved  his  cap  as  the  big  car  moved  away. 

It  seemed  to  Fatty  that  he  would  never  reach 
the  Alhambra.  They  were  held  up  at  railroad 
crossings  and  in  the  crowded  streets-.  At  last, 
however,  they  stopped  at  the  apartment,  and 
Fatty  rushed  past  the  stone  lions  and  pushed  the 
bell  for  the  elevator.  It  descended  with  aggravat- 
ing slowness. 

Fatty  commenced  talking  at  the  first  glimpse 
of  Peters'  shoes.  He  was  in  full"  swing  when 
Peters'  baggy  knees  descended,  and  was  saying: 
"  So  get  a  move  on  yourself!  "  when  Peters' 
amazed  face  appeared  on  a  line  with  his  own. 


106      THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE 

"  If  you  will  please  to  say  that  all  again,  Mr. 
Will!  "  he  asked. 

"  Get  the  other  elevator  man!  "  said  Fatty, 
"  I'll  tell  you  all  the  news  as  we  go  back.  You've 
got  to  come  to  the  fairgrounds  with  me.  It's  a 
big  thing,  Peters'  Where's  that  elevator  boy, 
anyhow?  Down  cellar!  I'll  get  him!  You  get 
into  some  other  clothes !  " 

Once  started,  he  told  him  the  whole  affair. 

"  Now  what  do  you  say,  Peters?  Can  you  do 
it?  "  he  demanded,  shaking  the  little  man's 
skinny  arm. 

"  For  my  Alice,"  he  said.  "  Why,  Mr.  Will, 
sir,  I  will  ride  if  I  have  to  lift  the  horse  down  the 
home  stretch!  " 

"  That's  another  funny  thing,"  said  Fatty, 
suddenly  remembering.  "  The  mare's  name  is 
Sweet  Alice." 

"  It's  a  sign,"  said  Peters,  solemnly. 

"  Do  you  suppose,"  asked  Fatty  anxiously, 
"  that  you've  forgotten  how  to  ride?  " 

Peters  gave  a  short  laugh.  "  I  jolly  well 
haven't!  "  he  said.  "  I  was  born  in  the  saddle 
like,  Mr.  Will,  and  ridin'  is  like  breathin'  to  me, 
an'  easier.  I  looks  older  than  I  am,  too:  and  I'm 
under  weight,  which  is  a  good  thing  for  a  jockey. 
Blarst  me !  "  he  cried  with  a  shaking  voice,  ' '  I 
want  to  ride.  If  I  can  get  a  good  horse  under  me 
again,  I'll  forgit  me  troubles  for  so  long  at  any 
rate.    '  Sweet  Alice,'  eh?  "  he  mused.    "  Well,  a 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE      107 

beauty  ye  must  be  and  I'm  pinin'  to  see  ye.  An 
automobile's  but  a  slow  thing  at  that,  is  it  not, 
Mr.  Will?" 

.  "  There  are  the  fairgrounds,"  said  Will,  smil- 
ing at  Peters'  impatience  as  the  speedy  car 
bumped  over  bridges  and  whipped  around 
curves.  He  knew  well  how  it  felt  to  Peters. 
Fatty  showed  his  pass  and  directed  the  chauffeur 
to  the  paddock.  Jumping  out,  he  hurried  into 
the  DeWolfe  stables  and  bumped  into  his  father. 

1 '  I  told  you,  Eansier !  ' '  cried  the  voice  of  Doc- 
tor Carroll,  "  I  was  sure,  from  the  Colonel's  de- 
scription, that  it  was  your  son." 

Fatty  marched  past  them  and  up  to  Colonel  De- 
Wolfe. 

"  Here's  the  jockey,  sir,  and  I  am  sure  that  he 
will  win  your  race, ' '  he  said. 

The  old  Colonel  glanced  at  Peters  with  a  criti- 
cal eye. 

"  Well,  my  man,  you've  got  the  right  build. 
Where  did  you  ride  ?  ' ' 

"  'Twas  long  since;  but  you  needn't  fear  that 
I've  forgot.  I  rode  in  England.  I  rode  for  Sir 
Harry  Edgerton  of  Edgerton. ' ' 

"  That's  rather  odd,"  said  the  Colonel,  turn- 
ing to  the  ladies.  "  Sweet  Alice  heah  is  a  de- 
scendant of  the  Edgerton  horses.  Her  great 
grand-dam  came  from  there." 

Like  a  flash  Peters  entered  the  big  box  stall, 
and  with  a  practiced  hand  stripped  the  eovers 
from  the  glossy  black  beauty. 


108      THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE 

He  looked  her  over,  his  face  quivering.  ' '  1 
can  name  her  great  grand-dam,  Colonel  DeWolfe, 
sir!  "  he  cried,  his  voice  shaking.  "  She  was 
Queen  Blue  Belle  and  she  had  that  star,  and  the 
reddish  hair  down  in  her  mane. ' ' 

"  Now  that  is  odd,"  said  the  Colonel  again. 
"  Well,  I'll  take  you  on,  Petahs.  I  doubt  your 
winning;  she's  freakish,  very  freakish,  and  you 
say  you've  not  ridden  for  years:  but  you'll  do 
your  best  I  don't  doubt,  since  this  young  man 
backs  you.  Better  try  her  today,  Petahs.  Un- 
fortunately her  race  is  set  for  tomorrow.  I  wish 
I  could  get  it  put  ovah," 

"It's  not  necessary,  sir,"  said  Peters.  "  You 
see  'twill  help  a  good  bit,  my  knowing  her  blood." 

"  Well,  we  will  leave  you  with  her,  my  man. 
I  will  be  in  latah." 

The  party  left  the  stable  and  walked  slowly 
back  toward  the  main  building. 

"  Well,  suh,"  said  the  Colonel,  "  unless  that 
little  man  has  forgot  to  ride,  it  looks  to  me  like 
it  was  a  good  thing  the  niggah  broke  his  laig." 

Fatty,  in  perfect  agony  to  tell  the  amazing 
news,  hurried  to  the  stand  presided  over  by  Tony 
and  Charlie.  Kid  O'Connors  and  his  wife  were 
there  talking  to  them. 

Fatty's  wonderful  tale  was  received  with1 
whoops  of  delight. 

"  Well,  that  was  great,  simply  great!  "  said 
Kid  O'Connors.     "  He'll  ride  all  right  if  he's 

\ 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE      109 

English.  It's  not  the  prejudice  of  my  blood:  but 
certainly  the  English  jockeys  are  the  greatest  in 
the  world.  Where  did  you  say  he  came  from,. 
over  there?  " 

"  Prom  some  place  in  Devonshire,"  said  Fatty. 
"  I  forgot  the  name  —  I'll  ask  him.  Why,  there 
he  is  now!    Wonder  if  anything 's  wrong!  " 

Fatty  gave  a  yell  and  Peters,  who  was  evi- 
dently in  search  of  him,  hurried  up. 

"  I'll  not  be  able  to  get  back  to  the  Alhambra 
tonight,  Mr.  Will,"  said  the  little  man.  "  I  don't 
want  to  leave  the  little  un  for  a  minute.  She  took 
to  me  like  a  brother.  It's  jolly  funny  to  see  that 
trainer  back  there.  He  follows  every  step  I  take. 
He  says  it  is  because  he's  afraid  I'll  get  lost.  Me 
lost  after  fifteen  years  around  American  cities! 
He's  afraid  I'll  run  away  or  get  hurt  before  the 
race.  Why,  Mr.  Will,  I'd  not  miss  riding  that 
race  for  what's  left  of  me  life.  I'm  going  to- 
saddle  her  soon  —  won't  you  come  round?  But 
I'm  so  mixed  up  with  happiness:  what  I  started 
to  say  was,  could  you  most  kindly  see  if  that  ele- 
vator boy  can  do  my  work  until  tomorrow?  I'll 
pay  him  well.  He  will  have  to  get  someone  to 
take  his  place  while  he  eats. ' ' 

"  I  think  our  chauffeur  can  run  an  elevator," 
said  Fatty.  "  If  he  can't,  why,  we'll  have  to  hang 
"dp  an  '  Out  of  order  '  sign  on  it.  I  tell  you, 
Peters,  this  is  an  important  affair.  We  can't 
stick  at  a  little  thing  like  an  elevator.  Why,  what 
ails  Mr.  O'Connors?  " 


110      THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE 

They  turned,  and  together  stared  at  the  Kid. 
His  firm,  clean-cut  face  was  colorless:  his  deep- 
set  brown  eyes  were  fixed  upon  Peters  with  a  look 
of  wild  intensity.  Peters,  meeting  his  gaze, 
stared  back  with  a  wonder  which  passed  into  utter 
amazement  and  unbelief. 

The  Kid  took  an  unsteady  step  forwards. 
*J  Philip  Evans!  "  he  said  in  a  low  voice. 

Peters  began  to  shake.  "  Don't  fool  me!  "  he 
cried.  ' '  It  can 't  be  —  it  can  't  be  —  it  —  is  — my; 
little  Peter,  ain't  it?  " 

t  (  Yes,  brother,  it  is !  ' '  cried  the  Kid. 

"With  no  thought  of  the  crowds  watching,  the 
two  men  kissed  each  other,  a  proceeding  which 
caused  Fatty  to  kick  his  left  leg  violently  with 
his  right  foot  and  made  the  Kid's  admirers  doubt 
their  senses.  It  was  hard  to  believe  that  their 
hero  of  the  ring  could  be  guilty  of  such  weakness. 

"My  —  my  little  Peter,"  said  Peters,  putting 
iris  hand  on  the  taller  man's  shoulder.  "  Why 
did  ye  never  write  me?  " 

"  I  did  often,"  said  the  Kid,  "  until  I  got  tired 
of  having  no  answer.  I  thought  you  must  be 
dead.  And  here  we  are  in  the  same  city  together 
at  last!  "    He  turned  to  his  wife.  ,    ■■ 

"  Mary,  this  is  my  brother  Philip  that  I've 
often  told  you  about:  and  you've  seen  Charlie 
many  a  time,  I'll  be  bound!  " 

"  Many's  the  time,"  said  Peters,  "  but  I  never 
dreamed  it  was  my  own  nephew;  and  him  so  good 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE      111 

to  Alice!  How  strange  things  do  come  out!  It's 
queer  how  you  knew  me,  Peter;  I've  certainly 
changed. ' ' 

"  Not  a  bit/'  said  the  Kid.  "  A  little  thinner, 
maybe,  and  some  lines  and  a  grey  hair  or  two: 
but  very  much  the  same.  What  made  you  change 
your  name,  Phil !  ' ' 

"  That's  a  long  story,"  said  Peters,  sighing. 
"  And  you  were  not  born  Kid  O'Connors!  Isn't 
there  as  much  fighting  stuff  in  the  name  of 
Evans?  " 

"  More!  "  laughed  the  Kid.  "I'd  never  dare 
stand  up  against  an  Evans  myself.  But  that's  a 
long  story  too,  brother,  and  we  '11  have  to  sit  some- 
where and  talk  it  all  over.    Where  will  that  be  ?  " 

"  Come  to  the  paddock  tomorrow  morning," 
said  Peters.  "  I'll  only  be  busy  off  and  on  with 
my  little  mare  and  there'll  be  plenty  o'  time  to 
visit. ' ' 

The  trainer,  who  had  fidgetted  in  the  back- 
ground, hurried  up.  "  Any  time  you're  ready, 
Peters,"  he  said,  "  I'll  show  you  the  way  back." 

Peters  looked  at  him  pityingly.  "  Mr.  Blair," 
he  said,  "  I  could  find  my  way  back  to  that 
sweet,  pretty,  little  mare  if  I'd  wandered  farther 
afield  than  this.  But  I'll  walk  back  with  you 
now.  You'll  see  to  the  elevator  boy  then,  Mr. 
Will?  I'm  sorry  to  trouble  you,  but  I  must  stay 
right  in  that  stall  tonight.  Good-bye  for  tonight, 
brother  P^ter.** 


112      THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

Fatty  dropped  wearily  down  on  a  box.  "  Say, 
fellows,"  lie  said,  "  don't  yon  ever  say  a  word 
against  dime  novels,  or  nickle  libraries,  or  picture 
shows  again.  The  way  long  lost  brothers  have 
cropped  up  around  here  today  gets  my  goat. 
And  Peters  even  knows  the  great  grandmother  of 
the  mare  he 's  going  to  ride !  He  knew  just  how 
many  red  hairs  this  one  ought  to  have  in  her 
mane.  What  do  you  suppose  is  due  to  pop  up 
next?  I  mean  after  the  race?  Of  course  that  *a 
next  on  the  program." 

"  Dunno,"  said  Tony,  smiling. 

And  it  was  well  indeed  that  he  could  not  see  thft 
horror  that  lay  before  them. 


CHAPTER   IX 

THE  HOME  STRETCH 

By  nine  o'clock  the  following  morning  all  the 
Scouts  associated  in  the  Popcorn  Trust  had  taken 
turns  going  to  see  Peters  and  Sweet  Alice.  At 
nine-thirty  both  Peters  and  the  horse  disap- 
peared in  the  interior  of  the  racing  stables  at  the 
other  side  of  the  track,  followed  by  the  fidgety 
trainer  and  the  still  more  fidgety  Colonel. 

What  looked  like  a  toy  saddle  dangled  from 
the  Colonel  's  hand.  The  other  hand  held  a  bun- 
dle of  scarlet  and  black  satin.  "  Gee,"  said 
Charlie,  "  our  new  uncle  is  going  to  look  like  a 
sofa  pillow!  " 

As  the  morning  went  on  the  excitement  about 
the  stable  grew  keener.  Stable  boys  hurried  here 
and  there.  Older  men  led  horses  up  and  down, 
hooded,  blanketed,  and  bandaged  like  mummies. 
Each  was  followed  by  its  rider  or  driver,  wor- 
ried, anxious,  fretful  as  porcupines,  and  shedding 
orders  like  quills.  Perspiring  rubbers  hurried 
here  and  there  with  pails  of  water.  Gentlemen  in 
silk  hats  with  fat,  shiny  watch  chains  draped 
across  fat  figures,  walked  about  watching  the 
horses.  On  the  track,  slim  beauties  covered  many 
times  with  a  perplexing  lot  of  straps  and  weights, 

113 


114       THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

intended  to  control  their  paces,  swept  round  and 
round,  their  drivers  sitting  carefully  on  the  long 
tails  spread  across  the  sulky  seats,  and  humped 
far  over  the  horses'  backs.  At  eleven  o'clock  the 
crowd,  scattered  about  the  grounds,  began  to 
move  toward  the  mammoth  grandstand.  In  the 
vast  space  underneath  at  long  high  counters,  a 
nervous  row  of  young  men  and  elderly  women 
dispensed  "  hot  dogs,"  ginger  ale,  coffee,  sand- 
wiches and  doughnuts.  Everybody  was  in  a 
frantic  hurry,  and  everybody  was  hungry,  raven- 
ously hungry.  The  "  hot  dog  "  men  could  not 
slap  the  mustard  on  fast  enough.  The  ham  in  the 
sandwiches  got  thinner  and  thinner,  and  drew 
further  from  the  outside  edges  except  when  a 
large  piece  of  fat  sprawled  all  over  the  inside  and 
hung  out  at  one  corner,  making  you  pick  that  one 
because  you  thought  there  was  a  lot  of  good  meat 
inside.  People  made  change  with  a  quickness 
and  sureness  that  was  amazing.  "Women,  old 
folks  and  little  children  stood  at  the  counters  and 
ate  sandwiches  and  "  hot  dogs."  • 

At  the  Women's  Christian  Aid  booth,  where 
the  muddy  blackness  of  the  coffee  was  offset  by 
the  pale  blueness  of  mugs  of  milk,  the  attendants 
were  so  tired  that  they  matched  the  milk  rather 
well.  Overhead  came  the  hollow  thunder  of  hun- 
dreds of  feet  tramping  up  and  down  the  aisles  of 
the  grandstand  finding  seats.  Along,  the  front, 
next  the  rail,  was  a  row  of  private  boxes.    Their 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE      115 

comfortable  chairs  looked  very  inviting  to  the 
hot,  tired  crowds  gathering  on  the  long,  hard 
benches.  It  was  a  great  day  for  Syrchester.  Her 
greatest  horse,  which  had  raced  so  successfully 
in  the  West  and  South,  was  at  last  to  trot  at 
home. 

"  The  Baron  "  was  a  household  name  among 
the  lovers  of  horseflesh,  and  his  owner,  young 
Mr.  Black,  as  he  sauntered  here  and  there,  into 
the  judges'  stand  or  across  the  track,  was  watched 
by  hundreds  of  friendly  and  admiring  eyes. 

At  twelve  o'clock  the  huge  stand  was  full;  at 
one,  it  was  crowded;  and  the  bleachers,  at  either 
side,  were  jammed  with  men  and  boys.  At  one- 
thirty,  the  "  No  Boom  "  sign  was  put  up  at  the 
ticket  entrance  to  the  grandstand,  and  disap- 
pointed hundreds,  whose  tickets  had  been  secured 
far  ahead,  raged  and  roared  at  the  row  of  police- 
men stationed  there.  The  band,  in  one  corner  of 
the  grandstand,  played  at  intervals.  When  it 
stopped,  a  number  of  hot,  tired,  hungry  babies 
screamed  and  yelled  at  the  tops  of  their  voices 
and  were  jounced  into  worse  misery  by  their 
mothers.  The  private  boxes  gradually  filled  with! 
beautiful  women  and  dainty  girls  and  well- 
dressed  men.  In  the  judges'  stand  the  bell 
clanged. 

Out  in  the  racing  stables,  in  the  stall  occupied 
by  Sweet  Alice,  Peters  and  Kid  O'Connors, 
sitting  side  by  side  on  a  soap  box,  had  pieced  to- 


116       THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE 

gether  the  torn  fragments  of  their  lives.  The 
Kid  had  come  to  America  to  live  with  his  mother's 
brother,  when  he  was  a  little  chap  nine  years  old 
and,  of  course,  he  had  the  most  to  tell.  Not  many 
things  happen  to  folks  in  an  old  English  village, 
and  Peters'  life  had  been  uneventful  enough  un- 
til the  misfortune  which  drove  him  away  from 
home. 

u  But  why  did  you  change  your  name,  Phil?  " 
asked  the  Kid  finally.  "  Wasn't  Evans  good 
enough  for  you  f  ' ' 

"  Too  good,"  said  Peters.  "  I  did  not  want  to 
carry  it  when  folks  thought  me  disgraced.  So  I 
called  myself  Peters  in  memory  of  you.  But  you 
changed  too,  lad.    "Why  was  that  ?  ' ' 

"  Oh,  uncle  had  no  boy,  and  all  day  long  he  was 
coaxing  and  promising,  if  I  would  only  take  his 
name.  I  did  it  to  please  him,  and  it 's  many  a  time 
I've  wished  it  back,  but  I'm  Kid  O'Connors  now 
to  the  end  of  the  chapter.  And  there 's  this  about 
it,  Phil.  Over  here,"  as  you've  no  doubt  seen, 
names  don't  mean  much.  It's  what  you  are,  or 
what  you  do,  or  what  you  gain,  that  counts." 

"  It's  true;  it's  true,"  said  Peters  sadly,  "  and 
I'm  a  failure,  lad,  just  a  failure!  " 

"  Not  a  bit!  "  said  the  Kid,  clapping  his  bro- 
ther's satin-covered  shoulder.  "  Don't  you  feel 
you  can  win  the  race?  " 

"  Of  course!  "  said  Peters,  simply. 

"  Well,  then,  that's  all  there  is  to  it!    You've 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS ,  DEFIANCE      117 

siot  had  the  ghost  of  a  show  for  years  and  5  *ars. 
A  jockey  like  you,  a  horseman  trying  to  ru,a  an 
elevator!  I'm  a  fighter,  Phil,  and  I've  got  the 
belt  for  my  class.  I  don't  approve  of  the  profes- 
sion, but  that's  neither  here  nor  there.  What 
would  I  make  of  the  job,  think  you,  if  I  left  box- 
ing, and  took  to  writing  books'?  You  have  not 
had  your  chance,  Phil,  for  these  many  years,  but 
I've  a  feeling  that  your  luck  has  turned.' ' 

"  We'll  hope  so,"  said  Peters,  with  a  wry 
smile,  "  because  I'll  say  this,  that  I'm  not  main 
strong  for  the  woman's  work,  and  the  elevator 
rubs  me  the  wrong  way  of  the  grain  —  I'll  havi? 
to  get  back  to  the  horses  somehow  or  other,  lad." 

Across  the  track  sounded  the  harsh  clang  of  tho 
starter 's  bell  calling  the  first  heat  of  the  trotters, 

"  Think  I'd  better  skip,"  said  Kid,  rising. 
"  This  will  be  the  first  of  many  talks,  Phil.  Good 
luck  to  you,  lad !  I'll  not  worry.  I  know  you  can 
lift  the  little  girl  under  the  wire  ahead  o'  the 
others. ' 9 

"  I've  got  to!  "  said  Peters.  "  I'm  riding  for 
my  little  Alice  today!  " 

The  brothers  parted,  and  Peters  turned  to  the 
black  muzzle  that  poked  fondly  at  him.  Already 
he  had  won  the  little  mare's  heart.  Taking  off 
her  blanket,  he  took  a  chamois  and  smoothed 
down  the  glossy,  shining  sides. 

"  We'll  show  them,  won't  we,  Beauty?  "  he 
whispered. 


118       THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE 

Colonel  De  Wolfe,  stepping  in  the  door,  saw  and 
heard  Peters'  soft,  coaxing  whispers. 

"  Everything  all  right,  Peters!  "he  inquired. 

"  Couldn't  be  better,  sir." 

"  Do  your  best  to  win,  then,"  said  the  Colonel, 
41  although  I  scarcely  hope  for  it:  you  are  a  total 
stranger  to  the  mare. ' ! 

"  Oh,  no,  Colonel  De  Wolfe,  sir,  we  are  not 
strangers;  we've  just  found  each  other  again. 
I've  told  her  all  about  Edgerton,  and  she  knows 
we  are  old  friends.  I'll  win,  Colonel!  It's  not 
the  mare  that's  freakish;  it's  the  boy  what's  rode 
her.  A  horse  is  just  pretty  near  what  you  make 
it  so  far  as  disposition  goes.  It's  my  opinion  that 
nine  out  of  ten  is  born  with  good,  sweet  tempers, 
and  they  got  the  wrong  handling.  Spoiled  in  the 
makin',  sir,  all  spoiled!  " 

i  l  Have  you  seen  any  of  the  other  horses  ?  ' J 
asked  Colonel  De  Wolfe. 

1  i  All  of  them,  sir !  They  are  mighty  good  ones, 
but  here  is  a  better.  We'll  make  it  unless  there's 
some  accident,"  said- Peters  positively. 

The  Colonel  sighed.  He  wanted  Sweet  Alice 
to  win  for  many  reasons:  and  he  felt  that 
he  had  chanced  upon  a  great  jockey:  but  even  so 
the  little  mare  was  freakish  when  she  got  nervous, 
and  he  wondered  if  she  would  run  true  with  a 
strange  hand  on  the  rein. 

There  was  absolutely  nothing  to  do,  however5 
but  return  to  the  box  where  the  ladies,  with  Mr, 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS  '  DEFIANCE       119 

Barrier  and  Dr.  Carroll,  sat  breathlessly  watch- 
ing the  last  heat  of  the  "  Baron's  "  race.  Sud- 
denly, as  Colonel  De  Wolfe  slowly  ascended  the 
stairs  of  the  grandstand,  a  roar  arose.  It  sounded 
like  a  wave  as  it  swept  over  the  bleachers  and  the 
big  stand.  As  the  four  horses  came  trotting  into 
the  last  stretch,  every  person  on  the  stands  leaped 
to  their  feet.  ' ■  Baron  —  Baron  —  Baron !  '  * 
they  cried :  and  as  the  home  horse  whirled  under 
the  wire,  a  scant  nose  ahead,  a  deafening  cheer 
arose.  Cheer  followed  cheer.  Hats  were  flung 
up  and  young  Mr.  Black,  slowly  coming  from  the 
judges'  stand,  took  the  already  blanketed  win- 
ner, and  himself  led  him  toward  the  stables. 

1  '  Is  there  always  so  much  enthusiasm  ?  ' '  asked 
Colonel  De  Wolfe.    "  I  missed  the  other  races." 

"Oh,  no!"  said  Dr.  Carroll.  "  Syrchester 
is  considered  very  cold :  but  that  horse  was  bred 
here,  and  is  owned  by  a  man  who  is  extremely 
popular  among  lovers  of  good  horseflesh.  No, 
Syrchester  is  very  unenthusiastic  usually.  I've 
never  seen  the  people  sov  pleased.  Why,  your 
race  is  next,  is  it  not,  Colonel?  Now,  ladies,  we 
will  all  have  to  give  a  '  good  thought '  as  the 
mind  cure  people  say,  and  perhaps  it  will  help; 
Sweet  Alice  and  our  friend  Peters  to  win." 

It  was  a  good  field  for  a  running  race.  Six 
slim,  clean-cut  beauties  filed  out  of  the  racing 
stable.  The  first  was  a  magnificent,  greaf  animal 
fairly  tingling  with  life.    His  rider  was  gorgeous 


120      THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE 

in  green  and  gold.  Next,  all  in  blue,  a  long,  thin 
jockey  tried  to  control  the  skittish  lunges  of  a 
dark  roan.  Three  bays  followed,  and  it  was  evi- 
dent at  a  glance  that  they  were  scarcely  to  be  con- 
sidered in  the  race. 

Behind  them  Sweet  Alice  picked  her  dainty 
way.  Peters,  flashing  in  his  scarlet  and  black 
satin,  sat  her  so  lightly  and  held  her  so  delicately 
that  Colonel  De  Wolfe  drew  a  deep  breath. 

"  That  fellow's  a  magnificent  rider!  "  he  half 
whispered. 

As  the  horses  drew  up  at  the  judges'  stand, 
there  was  a  shout  and  five  tousled  and  excited 
boys  dashed  up  the  stairs,  closely  followed  by  an 
angry  policeman. 

"  Come  back  here!  "  he  cried  and  gave  a  lunge 
for  the  nearest  one.  It  was  Charlie  O'Connors, 
and  with  his  father's  own  quickness  he  slipped 
away  from  the  officer  and  bounded  to  the  top  step. 
The  policeman,  now  furious,  made  a  grab  and 
caught  Tony,  whom  he  jerked  roughly  toward 
the  stairs. 

"  Here,  officer!  "  cried  Mr.  Eansier.  "  Those 
boys  belong  in  this  box." 

"Not  on  your  life!"  said  the  angry  man. 
*'  Those  boys  have  no  entrance  tickets." 

"You've  got  them  in  your  pocket,  father! 9f 
yelled  Fatty,  furiously. 

Mr.  Eansier  felt  in  his  pocket  and  drew  out  the 
five  colored  slips. 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE      121 

"  Yes,  and  we  came  near  not  seeing  our  own 
race !  ' '  said  Fatty,  scowling. 

"  Never  mind,  son,  dear,  you  all  are  here  now, 
are  you  not?  " 

"  I  don't  know  whether  we  are  or  not !  "We  had 
the  worst  time  to  get  under  that  fence !  ' ' 

"  Well,  stand  up  at  the  back  of  the  box  where 
you  can  see  over  our  heads/ '  said  Mr.  Ransier. 

The  beautiful  group  of  horses  trotted  gaily  to 
the  starting  point,  and  lined  up.  Track  hands 
stretched  the  barrier  across  th^  track. 

1 1  Go  I  9 '  cried  the  starter. 

The  line  leaped  forward :  all  but  the  roan,  who 
stood  teetering  a  moment,  then  began  to  back. 
The  starter's  bell  rang  loudly,  and  the  horses 
turned  back. 

Three  times  the  roan  held  them  back  on  a  false 
start.  Then  the  starter  in  the  judges  *■  stand  put 
the  megaphone  to  his  lips  and  in  a  roar  which 
could  not  be  understood  on  the  grandstand, 
warned  the  rider  in  blue  that  it  was  his  last  start. 
With  a  new  touch,  the  jockey  brought  the  roan 
into  place  and  the  barrier  fell.  Almost  on  a  di- 
rect line,  the  six  horses  swept  forward. 

"They're  off!"  exclaimed  Fatty.  "Now 
we'll  see  what  old  Peters  is  made  of !  " 

The  grandstand  was  silent.  Down  came  the 
horses  and  swept  past  the  grandstand.  Fatty, 
who  had  a  voice  big  enough  for  four  boys,  roared 
over  the  Colonel 's  head, ' '  Get  a  move  on.  Peters, 
get  a  move  ce*  "* 


122      THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

The  Colonel  jumped  and  smiled,  then  forgot 
everything  but  the  group  of  horses  speeding  away 
round  the  track. 

A  third  of  the  way  round,  Clement  Carroll 
•cried  out,  "  Fellows,  there  are  two  horses  falling 
out!  " 

"  Good  thing!  "  said  De  Forest.  "  They  were 
no  good. ' ' 

Across  from  the  grandstand  a  horse  suddenly 
stumbled. 

"  Aw  shucks!  "  said  Fatty.  "  Got  a  stone  in 
Iris  shoe.  Well,  that  cleans  'em  down  pretty  well ! 
Now  if  that  old  sucker  will  only  ride  —  Oh,  the 
old  frozen  face,  she's  falling  behind!  Ain't  that 
the  limit !  Oh,  Chuck,  look  at  that  —  the  old  goat ! 
Oee,  I  thought  that  bunch  of  money  was  going  to 
help  some!  " 

Chuck  followed  the  horses  with  keen  eyes. 
"  She's  not  much  behind!  " 

"  Much!  "  cried  Fatty,  in  agony.  "  Much,  you 
silly  idiot!  She  has  no  business  to  be  any  be- 
hind !  * '  Fatty  had  forgotten  all  about  Colonel  De 
Wolfe.  He  stood  pounding  on  the  back  of  the 
Colonel's  chair.  Far  away  the  horses  turned  into 
the  home  stretch. 

The  people  stood  to  see. 

"  She's  gaining!  "  cried  Fatty,  leaning  far 
over  the  Colonel's  chair.  "  She's  up  with  the 
others!  There  goes  that  roan!  Now  there's  only 
the  black!    She'll  i^ever  make  it  —  yes,  she's  up 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE       123 

to  him  now!  —  No,  he's  ahead  —  no,  she's 
ahead!  " 

"  Oh,  ride,  Peters,  ride!  " 

Down  the  track  thundered  the  pair,  neck  and 
neck. 

"  Gee,  see  the  fellow  on  the  black  use  his 
»Thip !  ' 9  gasped  Chuck. 

"  Where's  Peters'  whip?  "  cried  Fatty  again, 
\,gony  in  his  voice.  Then  with  a  loud  yell  as  the 
horses  swept  under  the  wire,  "  We've  won, 
^e've  won!  "  choked  Fatty  and  pounded  the 
Colonel  violently  on  the  back.  The  other  boys 
were  hopping  up  and  down  and  yelling  with  the 
jrowd. 

"  Well,"  cried  Mr.  Eansier,  'fdo  you  know 
what  you  are  doing?  " 

Fatty,  thumping  the  dignified  Colonel  vigor- 
msly  on  the  back,  stopped  in  embarrassment. 

"  Why,  say!  Colonel  De  Wolfe,  I  beg  your 
pardon,  sir!  I  didn't  know  what  I  was  doing. 
But  we  won !    We  won !  "  • 

The  horses  came  back  to  the  judges'  stand. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eansier  and  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Carroll 
were  shaking  hands  with  Colonel  De  Wolfe  and 
congratulating  him.    The  Colonel's  face  glowed. 

"  Friends,"  he  said,  "  winning  that  race  meant 
a  great  deal  to  me.  I  bred  that  little  roan  myself, 
and  I'm  glad  to  be  justified  in  her." 

"  Let's  go  over  and  see  Peters."  said  Fattv. 
11  We're  off,  mother!  " 


124      THE  BOY  SCOUTS  '  DEFIANCE 

<;  Just  a  minute,  Eansier,"  called  the  Colonel* 
"  I  want  you  to  know  that  I  was  so  certain  that 
your  man  Peters  would  win  that  I  wrote  this  out 
before  I  left  my  rooms  at  the  Seneca  House.' ' 
He  handed  an  unsealed  envelope  to  Fatty. 

"  The  money!  "  said  Fatty  in  an  awed  tone. 

"  Well,  I  guess  mother  can  tell  you  about  Alice 
—  you  are  mighty  good !  ' ' 

"  She  has  told  me,"  said  the  Colonel. 

The  boys  fidgeted. 

"  Why  don't  you  take  the  money  to  Peters?  ff 
said  Chuck.  "  It  will  tickle  him  almost  to  death 
to  think  that  the  Colonel  had  the  check  all  made 
out  beforehand." 

"  All  right,"  said  Fatty,  and  with  a  shouted 
good-bye,  they  dashed  down  the  stairs  and  in  the- 
direction  of  the  racing  stables. 

"  A  thousand  dollars!  "  said  Tony. 

"Made  in  about  a  second,"  said  Fatty.  "  I 
think  I  '11  be  a  jockey !   I  'm  almost  thin  enough —  * r 

"  Well,"  said  Charlie.  "  Not  for  mine!  I  bet 
there's  no  more  in  it  than  there  is  in  boxing. 
You  don't  race  every  day,  and  it's  a  hard  life 
spent  in  stables,  and  when  you  get  too  old  to  ride, 
why,  you're  just  a  stable  hand  or  at  best  a. 
trainer. ' ' 

v  Let's  have  a  squint  at  the  check,"  said  Tony, 
4  •  Gee,  I'm  glad  it's  not  in  bills !  " 

Fatty  slipped  the  paper  from  the  envelope,  and 
looked:  at  it.    He  stopped. 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE      125 

"Say,  I'm  dippy!  "  he  confided  to  the  boys 
staring  over  his  shoulder.  "  This  won't  do!  " 
he  said.  "  See  what  he's  done!  The  old  Colonel 
has  made  a  mistake. ' ' 

"  Take  it  right  back  and  show  him,"  said  Clem- 
ent. "  We'll  wait  here.  He  might  feel  a  bit  em- 
barrassed. ' ' 

Fatty  sped  through  the  crowd  and  breathlessly 
offered  the  check  to  Colonel  De  Wolfe.  "  You 
must  have  been  thinking  of  something  else, 
Colonel,"  he  said.  "  You  have  made  this  out 
wrong. ' ' 

The  Colonel  examined  the  piece  of  blue  paper. 
He  smiled. 

"  No,  my  boy,  that  is  correct.  It  may  not  be 
exactly  the  amount  specified,  but  it  is  near  enough 
to  cover  my  notion  of  just  payment.  Run  along 
and  see  if  Peters  is  willing  to  call  it  a  square 
deal." 

Fatty  walked  slowly  back  to  the  boys. 

"  What  did  he  say?  "  they  all  demanded. 

"  He  said  it's  made  out  all  right,"  said  Fatty 
in  a  dazed  tone.  "  Told  me  to  take  it  to  Peters 
and  see  if  it  satisfied  him." 

"  Fwe  thousand  dollars,"  said  Clement  Car- 
roll.   ' '  If  money  will  do  it,  Alice  is  saved !  ' ' 

"  Come  along  and  show  Peters,"  said  Tony, 
breaking  into  a  run. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  WILD-CAT  AT  THE  BABS. 

Peters,  still  in  his  top  boots  and  smooth  riding 
breeches,  and  the  little  satin  jacket  and  cap  of 
scarlet  and  black,  stood  near  the  mare's  head, 
watching  the  men  rub  down  the  delicate,  spring- 
like muscles  that  had  performed  such  wonders. 
Alice  kept  her  pretty  muzzle  turned  toward  him 
and  her  little  ears  pushed  forward  at  the  sound 
of  his  voice.  She  loved  her  new  friend,  recogniz- 
ing, with  an  animal's  delicate  instinct,  the  love 
and  sympathy  which  the  little  man  gave  her. 

Peters  was  a  true  horseman,  and  not  a  make- 
believe.  He  first  won  the  little  racer's  love  and 
then  he  knew  that  she  would  do  anything  in  her 
power  for  him.  So  he  stood  beside  her,  watching 
every  move  of  her  rubbers,  while  the  boys  gazed 
on  in  an  agony  of  excitement. 

Fatty,  who  bore  the  wonderful  envelope,  was 
kept  well  to  the  front  that  no  time  might  be  lost. 
Twice  Fatty  said  "  Peters,"  but  Peters  shook  his 
head  and  smiled. 

"  Wait  'til  the  little  mare  is  comfortable,  Mr. 
Will,  sir,"  he  said,  "  then  I'll  be  with  you." 

At  last  even  Peters  was  satisfied,  and  the  boi 
stall  was  closed  on  the  pretty  winner,  and  Peters 
turned  to  the  boys. 

126 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE      127 

"  Well,  young  gentlemen,  I  suppose  you've 
come  to  shake  'ands, ' '  he  said. 

"Not  yet,"  said  Fatty,  "We- haven't  time. 
Here 's  something  for  you  to  read. ' ' 

Peters  wonderingly  opened  the  envelope. 
Once,  twice  he  read  the  check.  Then  he  laughed 
"  That's  a  fair  joke,"  he  said. 

"  Jokenuthin'!  "  said  Fatty.  "  I  went  back  to 
see." 

"  Yes,  he  went  back  and  asked  the  Colonel," 
said  Tony. 

"Hope  to  die,  it's  straight  goods!"  said 
Chuck. 

i  l  On  honor !  ' '  said  both  the  Carrolls. 

They  all  talked  at  once.  They  hung  on  Peters  * 
shoulders;  they  shook  him  by  the  arms;  they 
poked  grubby  fingers  into  his  satin-covered  ribs; 
they  slapped  him  on  the  back.  Peters,  jarred  and 
jostled,  did  not  seem  to  know  it.  He  stared  at  the 
check  like  a  man  in  a  dream. 

1 '  Five  thousand  dollars !  "he  said  at  last. 
"  Five  thousand  dollars!  Why,  boys,  if  money 
will  do  it,  that  ought  to  cure  my  little  Alice!  " 
His  poor,  lined,  lean,  little-  face  worked  pitifully. 
"  Five  thousand  dollars!  I  felt  rich  as  a  lord  with 
the  promise  of  one  thousand.  Where  is  the 
Colonel  ?  I  must  thank  him  for  this,  and  I  must 
tell  him  what  it  means  to  me. ' ' 

"He's  coming  now,"  said  Clement,  looking  out 
the  door. 


128      THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE 

"  Let  me  go  alone,  boys,  if  you  please,"  said 
Peters,  as  the  crowd  prepared  to  follow. 
"  There's  things  that  you  can  best  say  man  to 
man." 

The  boys  watched  Peters  approach  the  big 
Colonel,  and  saw  him  take  the  little  man  by  the 
hand.  Then  they  sauntered  back  to  their  popcorn 
stands.    Their  interest  in  the  races  was  over. 

"  Nice  hearty  handshake  he  appeared  to  be  giv- 
ing my  new  uncle,"  said  Chuck. 

"  Well,  he's  a  hearty,  big  man,"  said  Tony. 

' ' '  Ha-ha  —  cried-little-Willie-joyf ully, '  ' '  said 
Fatty  sarcastically:  "  You  needn't  look  for  big, 
hearty  men  necessarily  when  you  are  after  a  hu- 
man stone  crusher.  Nay,  nay !  I  met  a  little  man 
once  and  shook  hands  with  him  in  a  friendly  way, 
and  for  about  three  hours  afterwards  I  was 
simply  crazy  with  curiosity  as  to  whether  I  had 
any  hand  or  not.  There  was  something  on  the 
end  of  my  arm,  but  it  looked  and  felt  like  a  mul- 
lein leaf.  Chuck  0  'Connors '  nice,  gentle,  little  pa 
did  it!" 

The  boys  howled. 

"What  a  cheerful  liar  you  are,  Fat!  "  said 
Charlie,  hammering  Fatty  between  the  shoulders, 

"  Straight  goods!  "  said  Fatty.  "  Why,  even 
yet  that  poor  hand  has  nightmares  about  it,  and 
tries  to  get  under  the  bed." 

"  Aw,  you  are  crazy!  "  said  Charlie. 

"All  right,  then,"  said  Fatty.     "After  this 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE      12} 

I'll  talk  nothing  but  business.  We  are  going  to 
have  an  awful  heavy  day  to-morrow,  fellows. 
They  tell  me  Thursday  is  the  biggest  day  of  the 
whole  week.  I've  got  to  make  the  rounds  and 
see  that  there's  all  sorts  of  corn  and  butter  on 
hand.  How  are  you  coming  with  the  checkroom, 
Clem?  " 

"  Couldn't  be  better, "  declared  Clem.  "  We  are 
just  coining  money.  All  you  have  to  do  is  to  show 
people  a  little  politeness,  and  lots  of  times  they 
decide  to  leave  two  or  three  parcels,  where  they 
expected  to  leave  only  one.  Once  a  woman  wanted 
to  leave  her  baby.  It  was  asleep,  and  she  said  that 
it  wouldn't  wake  up  for  a  couple  of  hours,  but  I 
knew  that  if  it  did,  I  wouldn't  know  what  to  do 
with  it ;  so  I  sent  her  on  to  the  day  nursery.  De- 
Forest  went  with  her  and  carried  the  baby. ' ' 

"  Good  old  sport !  "  said  Fatty,  patting  De  For- 
est's chubby  shoulder. 

He  blushed  as  he  explained,  "  One  couldn't  do 
less.  My  word,  that  woman  didn't  weigh  ninety 
pounds,  and  the  baby  weighed  at  least  thirty!  " 

* '  It  must  be  fierce  to  be  one, ' '  said  Fatty. 

"  A  baby!  "  asked  Chuck. 

"  No,  no,  NO,"  cried  Fatty,  "  a  woman!  It 
must  be  fierce  to  be  a  woman." 

"  You  can  bet  it's  a  lead  pipe  cinch  to  be  a  hid; 
lugged  around  and  fed  and  put  to  sleep.  Gee, 
they  have  the  snap !   I  think  of  it  every  time  I  see 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE      131 

"  See  'em  all!"  said  the  others,  and  Fatty 
strolled  off  alone. 

As  he  passed  the  stand  run  by  Spider  Morrison 
and  Geezer  Eeed,  he  saw  that  Slinky  Mott  was 
running  the  popper  and  Spider  sat  near,  resting. 

"  Come  with  me,  Spider,  and  see  the  sights."" 

"  All  right,"  said  Spider.  "  Can  you  look  out 
for  things  without  my  athistanth  for  a  little,  f el- 
loth?    If  tho,  I'll  go." 

He  laughed,  and  with  Fatty  started  for  the 
Midway  where  the  side-shows  were.  As  Fatty 
said,  they  did  not  want  to  improve  their  minds. 
What  they  wanted  was  thrills.  Poor  Fatty  I 
Spider  remembered  afterwards  what  he  had  so 
carelessly  said. 

They  idled  down  the  noisy  street  lined  by  tents 
and  gaudy  show-houses  tossed  together  for  a  sin- 
gle week.  They  saw  the  Strongest  Man ;  and  the 
Fattest  Woman ;  and  the  Bearded  Lady,  and  the 
Dwarfs.  It  was  between  meals  for  the  Snake  Eat- 
ers, evidently,  for  they  were  not  eating  any  of  the 
discouraged  little  garter  snakes,  which  were 
curled  up  in  the  corners  of  the  pen.  They  passed 
the  Beauties  of  the  Orient,  because  Fatty  said 
they  were  nothing  but  girls,  and  the  Egyptian 
Tumblers  also,  because  Spider  said  one  of  them 
kept  a  shoe  shining  place  right  near  where  the  su- 
burban cars  came  in.  Just  beyond  this  was  a 
long,  low  tent  with  a  double  rail  inside  leading 
past  scores  of  boxes  and  booths  and  cages.    Here 


132      THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE 

you  really  did  get  your  money's  worth.  A  dime 
to  go  in  at  one  end  and  see  it  all.  Fatty  got  a 
thrill  first  crack,  because  the  girl  standing  up  in 
front  beside  the  barker  had  about  ten  feet  of  a 
dopy  boa-constrictor  around  her  neck,  and  its 
slow,  switching  tail  brushed  Fatty  as  he  went  in. 

They  began  at  the  very  beginning;  and  that 
was  a  sort  of  board  pit  within  which,  on  two 
wobbly  stools,  sat  the  two  fattest  boys  anyone 
ever  saw.  They  were  so  much  alike  that  Spider 
whispered  to  Fatty :  '  *  Thay,  have  you  the  leasth 
idea  which  one  you're  lookin'  at?  I  don't  know 
whether  I'm  theein'  this  one  or  some  other  one." 

They  wore  tights,  and  seemed  contented.  They 
were  eating  ice-cream  cones  in  large  bites,  but 
they  said  never  a  word.  Fatty  and  Spider  gazed 
at  them  for  a  long  time.  Finally  they  arose, 
brushed  off  the  bits  of  cone  with  the  backs  of  their 
pudgy  hands,  and  still  in  silence  fell  upon  each 
others'  necks.  They  pulled  and  hauled,  rocking 
to  left  and  right. 

! '  Now,  what  in  Sam  Hill  do  they  think  they  are 
doin'?  "  asked  Fatty. 

u  Wrestlin',"  said  a  small  boy,  proudly. 

"  Well,  well,"  said  Fatty,  "  wouldn't  that  frost 
you?    I'd  never  guess  it,  never  in  this  world!  " 

As  suddenly  as  they  began,  the  boys  parted  and 
let  themselves  down  gingerly  upon  their  stools. 
One  of  them  felt  under  a  coat  in  the  corner  and 
brought  out  two  bananas,  one  of  which  he  handed 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE      133 

to  his  partner  or  brother  or  twin,  as  might  be. 
They  began  to  eat  solemnly. 

"  Next!  "  said  Fatty,  and  they  went  on,  pass- 
ing a  cage  where  a  mongrel  collie  slept  peacefully. 
He  was  labeled:    "  Wild  Dog  of  Siberia,'9 

Spider  said  he'd  like  to  show  'em  his  bull  pup. 
The  Snake  Lady's  enclosure  was  next.  She  had 
returned  and  was  just  lifting  the  heavy,  lazy 
snake  from  her  bare  shoulders. 

"  Gosh!  "  said  Fatty.  "  When  I'm  president, 
I'm  going  to  push  through  a  law  that  women  must 
have  an  allowance  somehow,  so  that  they  won't 
have  to  make  shows  of  themselves.    It's  awful!  " 

The  boys  glanced  at  the  worn  and  tired  face, 
and  passed  on.  A  great  tank  was  next,  and  in  it, 
all  but  his  head  under  water,  sat  a  man  clothed  in 
black  Jersey  bathing  tights.  The  water  was  not 
very  clear,  and  Fatty  regarded  him  with  disgust. 

"  Gee,  I  don't  want  to  see  his  stunt!  "  he  said. 
"  He  looks  spoiled." 

Next  was  an  open  cage  strongly  barred.  It  was 
set  back  a  little  and  a  space  in  front  as  long  as  the 
cage  and  about  three  feet  in  width  was  staked,  and 
a  rope  stretched  about.  The  placard  at  the  top 
said,  ' '  Wild-Cat  —  Beware. ' f 

The  big  brute  lay  against  the  bars  at  one  end, 
fast  asleep ;  but  as  they  stared  at  him,  he  opened 
his  eyes  and  regarded  them  with  a  look  of  eon- 
eentrated  hate.  Cold,  cruel  and  revengeful,  Ms 
eyes  held  theirs. 


134      THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

"  Mercy,  Percy,  how  peeved  you  look!  "  said 
Fatty,  reprovingly. 

Spider  leaned  on  the  rail  and  stared  at  the  ani- 
mal ?s  face. 

"  I  don't  like  his  sthyle  a  little  hit!  "  he  said. 
"  Thee  that  paw  hanging  through  the  hars.  It 
looks  as  limp  and  thoft  as  ragth;  but  I'll  bet  it 
could  about  tear  you  to  piethes." 

"  I  don't  like  his  looks  enough  to  stand  and 
look  at  him  myself,"  said  Fatty.  "  Come  on;  " 
he  pushed  Spider  along.  "  This  is  a  bum  show 
anyhow.  Guess  the  only  real  thing  in  the  joint  is 
the  wild-cat,  and  I  guess  he's  pretty  sleepy." 
He  glanced  back  at  the  big  animal  in  time  to  see 
a  picture  which  haunted  him  for  years.  Even 
when  Fatty  was  a  grown  man,  with  children  of  his 
own,  he  would  wake  in  the  night  shuddering  with 
horror  of  the  picture  that  would  not  fade. 

A  little,  curly-haired  girl,  left  to  herself  while 
her  family  stood  gazing  at  the  snake  charmers, 
had  slipped  under  the  ropes  stretched  before  the 
big  cage  of  the  wild-cat,  and  calling  "  Kittyc 
kitty!  "  approached  the  dozing  animal. 

Fatty  yelled,  but  too  late.    With  a  dimpling 
smile,  the  little  one  took  hold  of  the  great  paw 
hanging  between  the  bars.    Like  a  flash  the  sleep 
ing  brute  changed  to  a  screaming,  snarling  pic- 
ture of  fury. 

Deep  into  the  tender  baby's  wrist  sank  the  long 
daws,  while  the  other  paw,  slipping  through  the 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE      135 

bars,  drew  the  curly  head  close  to  the  hot  mouth 
and  cruel  fangs. 

"With  one  bound  Fatty  was  beside  her.  Jerking 
up  the  corner  stake,  he  thrust  it  through  the  bars 
and  into  the  furious  creature's  face.  Becogniz- 
ing  a  new  enemy,  the  wild-cat  released  his  hold 
upon  the  child's  arm,  and  struck  at  Fatty,  tearing 
his  left  arm  to  the  bone. 

Heedless  of  his  hurt,  Fatty  struck  again  and 
again  at  the  brute's  face.  At  the  third  blow,  the 
wild-cat  succeeded  in  seizing  Fatty's  arm,  and 
seemingly  satisfied  to  have  some  victim,  dropped 
the  child.  Her  arm  and  hand  torn,  and  her  golden 
curls  red  with  blood,  the  little  one  fell  fainting 
under  the  cage. 

It  was  Spider  who  came  to  Fatty's  rescue. 
Seizing  another  stake,  he  thrust  the  end  into  the 
creature's  mouth.  With  a  new  cry  of  pain  and 
fury,  the  animal  released  Fatty,  to  seize  the  tor- 
turing stick.  The  proprietor  of  the  show  came 
running  up,  too  late,  with  a  big  iron  rod. 

In  a  crumpled  heap  beneath  the  cage  the  little 

-  one  lay  unconscious.    A  great  crowd  surged  into 

I  the  tent.    The  child's  mother  lay  in  a  dead  faint; 

beside  her  three  children  shrieked  wildly.    Other 

voices,    women's    and    children's,    took    up    the 

screams. 

Far  back  in  the  corner  of  the  cage,  his  eyes  like 
balls  of  fire,  his  lips  frothing,  his  long  tail  twitch- 
ing, the  wild-cat,  crazy  with  the  taste  and  smell 


136      THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE 

of  blood,  crouched  for  a  spring.  He  lifted  his 
voice  in  wild  yells  of.  rage  that  sounded  far  above 
the  other  sounds.  Outside,  in  the  tent,  the  crowd 
was  packed  solidly.  The  ambulance,  summoned 
by  someone  from  the  Eed  Cross  building,  only 
got  through  when  the  crowd  was  beaten  back  by 
policemen.  Tender  hands  picked  up  the  poor, 
torn  baby,  and  carried  her  out.  Fatty,  leaning 
heavily  upon  Spider's  shoulder,  groaned  as 
Spider  hurriedly  twisted  his  handkerchief  about 
the  injured  arm  in  an  effort  to  stop  the  blood 
which  poured  down.  "  Good  old  Fatty  —  good 
old  Fatty!  "  Spider  kept  saying  to  the  pale  and 
trembling  boy.  "  Good  old  sport!  Just  keep  a 
sthiff  upper  lip,  my  nith  old  Fatty,  and  you'll  be 
all  right. " 

"  Sure  thing!  "  said  Fatty,  shaking,  in  a  whis- 
per. "I'm  all  right.  I'll  be  all  right,  I  tell  you, 
when  they  get  the  lights  lit,"  and  then  Fatty,  just 
as  tfee  ambulance  doctor  came  running  toward 
him,  felt  the  pain  leave  and  the  darkness  swal- 
low him.  He  went  down  millions  and  millions  of 
miles  into  it;  and  that  was  the  last  poor  Fatty 
knew  until  he  woke  in  the  Eed  Cross  building, 
faint  and  sick,  and  his  bandaged  left  arm  paining 
and  burning  almost  harder  than  he  could  bear 
without  groaning.  He  gritted  his  teeth  and  kept 
the  groan  in,  and  was  glad  of  it,  when  he  saw  his 
own  mother's  pretty  face  near  his.  She  was  very 
pale  and  her  lovely  eyes  were  red. 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE      137 

"Hello,  motherkin,"  said  Fatty,  in  a  wabbly 
voice.  "  Just  what's  the  row?  Oh,  yes,  I  know! 
Oh,  say  mother,  don't  tell  me  I  fainted!  If  I  did, 
don't  tell  the  fellows.  Gee,  how  they  would  guy 
me!  " 

"  Oh,  son,  son!  "  Mrs.  Eansier  cried.  "  How 
proud  I  am  of.  you !  And  how  it  hurts  me  to  have 
you  hurt,  my  dear,  dear  lad!  " 

"I'm     all     right,"     said     Fatty,     bravely. 
'  "  Mother,  do  you  know  if  the  little  kid's  all  right! 
I  wish  you  could  find  out  somehow." 

"  She  is  all  right,  young  man,"  said  a  doctor, 
suddenly  appearing.  "  But  you  must  not  talk 
for  a  while,  even  with  your  mother.  We  cannot 
risk  any  fever,  Mrs.  Eansier." 

"Of  course  not,"  said  Mrs.  Eansier.  "We 
will  not  talk  now." 

You  may  talk  to  him  if  you  like.    It  might  be 
a  good  thing  if  he  gets  restless;  but  Be  must  not 

After  feeling  Fatty's  pulse,  the  doctor  went 
out. 

"  Fire  ahead,  mother,"  said  Fatty.    "  What's 
the  news  since  we  met?    Say,  I'm  going  to  keep  a 
side-show  when  I'm  older,  just  to  show  'em!  " 
^  "  You  are  going  to  keep  still,"  said  Mrs.  Ean- 
sier, putting  a  pink  finger  on  Fatty's  lips.    "  I 
[  want  to  talk,"  and  Fatty,  pale  with  pain,  lay  and 
\  listened  until  at  last,  quieted  hy  morphine    he 
f  slept. 

i 


138      THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE 

In  another  room  the  doctors  bent  above  the  in- 
jured child. 

"  Only  a  half -inch  more,  and  the  claw  would 
have  torn  the  jugular, "  said  one.  "  It  was  one  of 
the  most  awful  accidents  I  have  ever  heard  of. 
Young  Eansier  saved  her  life.  I  don't  compre- 
hend yet  how  he  moved  and  thought  as  quickly  as 
he  did.  He  got  out  of  it  luckily,  at  that.  If  his 
blood  is  good,  he  will  be  comparatively  comfort- 
able by  morning,  and  by  night  I  think  he  can  go 
home,  don't  you?  This  is  such  a  fearful  noisy 
place. ' ' 

"  He  can  go  if  he  is  very  careful,' '  said  the 
other  doctor.    "'"We  will  see,  we  will  see!  " 

In  the  meantime  the  crowd  still  surged  about 
the  tent  where  the  accident  occurred.  The  police 
had  "finally  succeeded  in  pressing  the  people  back 
until  the  tent  was  empty,  and  then  closed  the 
flaps.  Spider,  held  as  a  witness,  sat  on  a  box  and 
watched  a  couple  of  cub  reporters  near  the  wild- 
cat's cage  enact  Fatty's  part  of  the  recent  scene 
in  order  to  write  down  the  length  of  Fatty's  leap. 

An  older  reporter,  spectacled  and  bald,  ques- 
tioned Spider  considerately,  while  a  young  lady 
reporter,  in  a  mannish  jacket  and  a  Fedora  hat, 
sat  beside  Spider  on  his  box  and  wrote  feverishly. 

It  was  not  a  large  box  and  Spider  was  very 
much  fussed.  He  was  not  experienced  in  the 
ways  of  young  lady  reporters,  and  lisped  more 
than  ever.   He  tried  twice  to  rise,  but  she  grasped 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE      139 

his  coat  tail  with  a  firm  and  shapely  hand  and 
jerked  him  back.  "  Sit  down!  "  she  said  crisply, 
but  kindly. 

"How  far  do  you  think  your  friend  jumped 
when  he  leaped  to  the  child's  rescue?  "  asked 
the  bald  reporter. 

' '  I  don  't  know, ' '  said  Spider. 

"  You  should  know,''  said  the  young  lady  re- 
porter. 

"  Yes,  I  know  I  should,"'  said  Spider  meekly. 
"  I've  been  asked  theven  times  tho  far!  " 

"  Well,  we'll  say  he  leaped  seven  feet,"  said 
the  young  lady  reporter,  glancing  at  the  bald 
man. 

"  Is  he  long-legged?  "  asked  the  man,  smiling. 

"  All  legth!  "  said  Spider.  "  Ath  thoon  ath  he 
jumped,  he  sthuck  hith  arm  in  the  cage  and 
choked  the  wild-cat  with  one  hand,  while  he  got 
the  child  looth  with  the  other." 

The  young  lady  reporter  stopped  writing  and 
looked  at  him.  "  That's  not  true!  "  she  said,  se« 
verely. 

"  No,"  said  Spider  blandly,  "  but  it  goeth  tho 
well  with  that  theven  foot  jump  that  it  theems  a 
pity  not  to  thay  tho !  " 


CHAPTEE  XI 

A  VISIT  FROM  MR.   BROWN 

About  two  o  'clock  the  following  afternoon  Fatty 
lay  alone  in  his  high,  narrow,  hospital  bed.  His 
mother  and  father  had  ridden  back  to  the  city  to 
see  that  his  room  was  in  readiness  and  the  nurse 
waiting.  After  the  grounds  closed  for  the  night, 
Patty  was  to  be  dressed  and  allowed  to  go  home 
in  his  father's  big  car. 

Fatty  was  very,  very,  very  lonesome.  He  was 
not  used  to  being  in  bed,  and  he  did  not  like  to  be 
alone.  Also  the  nurse  worried  him.  She  smiled  in 
a  firm,  determined  manner  that  made  Fatty  afraid 
to  smile  back,  for  fear  she  would  not  want  him  to. 
He  never  felt  sleepy  but  she  came  noiselessly  in, 
her  arm  jerking  something  up  and  down.  It  was 
a  thermometer.  She  would  thrust  it  under  his 
tongue  and,  leaving  it  sticking  out  at  a  foolish  an- 
gle, would  say  with  her  firm  smile,  "  Keep  it 
there,  please!  " 

Then  she  would  go  away.  After  a  few  hours,  as 
it  seemed  to  Fatty,  she  would  take  it  out  and  look 
at  it.  She  always  looked  pleased  except  the  time 
when  she  stayed  away  long  enough  for  Fatty  to 
whip  it  out  and  hold  it  on  his  hot  water  bag  until 
he  heard  her  rubbery  footsteps  returning.    She 

140 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE      141 

dicing  like  it  then,  and  Fatty  didn't  either,  for 
she  sent  for  doctors  and  pulled  down  shades  and 
wouldn't  let  the  fellows  in.  And  she  smiled  more 
firmly  th^n  ever,  so  that  Fatty  was  afraid  to  tell 
what  he  had  done.  That  convinced  Fatty  that 
you  must  never  play  tricks  on  a  nurse  cmd  a  ther- 
mometer. 

Fatty  looked  idly  around  the  room.  One  fly,  the 
lonesomest  fly  that  Fatty  had  ever  seen,  climbed 
slowly  up  the  wall. 

Fatty  felt  so  sorry  for  it  that  he  hoped  it  would 
get  behind  something  before  the  nurse  and  the- 
thermometer  came  back.  But  the  fly  was  slow,  and 
while  Fatty  watched  it,  the  door  opened. 

"  Not  that  I  approve,"  cried  the  nurse,  jumping 
as  usual  into  the  middle  of  a  sentence,  "  but 
your  people  —  yes,  I  understand  that  they  take 
the  responsibility."  Fatty  said  a  silent  farewell; 
to  the  fly  and  turned  toward  the  door.  A  dear,, 
rough,  familiar  figure  was  advancing  toward  him.. 

"  Wall,  wall,  Willyum!  "  said  the  visitor. 

It  was  Mr.  Brown  of  Lafayette. 

"  Gee  Hoovers!  "  said  Mr.  Brown,  letting  him- 
self gently  down  into  a  chair  and  shaking  hands  • 
limply  with  Fatty,  f*  Gee  Hoovers,.  Willyum,  this, 
is  too  bad!  " 

"  How  did  you  hear?  "  said  F&fcty,  who  did  not. 
dream  of  the  newspaper  fame- he  had  gained  in  a. 
single  night. 

Both  stopped  to  watch  the-  nurse*    She  tiptoed! 


,142       THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

close  to  the  lonesome  fly,  smacked  him  with  the  cor- 
ner of  her  heavy  apron,  then  picking  up  his  corpse 
she  went  smiling  out  of  the  room. 

"  Awful  fidgety  wimen  is,  even  nurses,"  said 
Mr.  Brown.  ."  Wall,  I  tell  you  how  I  heern  it.  I 
was  up  at  the  school  house  getting  red  up  for  school 
openin '  next  week,  and  when  I  was  restin '  by  a  win- 
dow for  a  minute,  I  seen  Mis '  Brown  come  steam- 
ing up  the  street.  Mis'  Brown  has  hung  over  our 
gate  a-lookin'  after  me  a  lots,  off  'n  on,  but  she 
ain't  never  chased  me  up,  and  I  got  worried  when 
I  seen  her.  I  thought  mabby  the  kitchen  chimbly 
had  fell  — ^ there's  some  loose  bricks  that  had  ought 
to  be  seen  to.  So  I  went  to  the  door  to  meet  her, 
and  she  says,  '  Brown,'  she  says,  '  come  right 
home  and  put  on  your  best  pants.  Willyum  Ean- 
sier  has  got  into  a  fight  with  a  man-eatin'  tiger 
that  was  bein'  exhibited  at  the  fair,'  says  she, '  and 
he's  most  et  up.' 

.  I  says, c  Woman,  you're  crazy,  or  else  it's  .one 
of  the  boy's  jokes.*'  " 

"  'No,'  she  says,  '  it's  in  the  paper,'  and  then 
she  showed  it  to  me.  I  must  say,  Willyum,  that 
newspaper  account  made  you  out  to  go  in'  some, 
rasslin'  with  man-eatin'  tigers  and  wrestin'  great 
iron  bars  outer  the  cage  to  choke  him  w^th.  I've 
a  great  idea  of  your  powers,  Willyum,  but  I  own  I 
was  some  took  back.  Mis'  Brown,  she  shook  my 
arm,  and  she  kept  savin*,  i  Well,  Hennery!  Well, 
Hennery !  '  like  a  f  onygraf  —  and  finally  she  says, 
ftWell,  Hennery,  what  do  you  think  about  itf  ' 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE       143 

" 1  says,  '  Woman,  us  Scouts  do  seem  to  git 
right  into  the  middle  o '  things  that  happen !  '  and 
then  I  started  for  the  pants  and  here  I  be !  I  must 
say  this  ain't  as  bad  as  what  really  happened  ac- 
cordin'  to  the  papers,  and  I'm  glad  of  it. 

"  Ginerally,  it's  a  disappointment  when  things 
ain't  so  bad  as  you  hoped.  It's  like  bein'  called 
in  to  dinner  from  the  woodpile  and  having  just 
side  meat  and  cold  potatoes,  and  findin'  out  that 
what  you  thought  you  smelt  cookin'  was  just 
drippin'  tryin'  out." 

Mr.  Brown  patted  the  thin  hand  as  he  looked 
around  the  bare  room. 

"  I  was  never  into  a  hospital  before,"  he  said. 
" 1  s'pose  this  is  their  idee  of  comfort.  Now  to 
me  it  looks  skim  pin'  somehow.  And  that  nuss!  " 
His  voice  dropped  to  a  hoarse  whisper.  ' '  About 
the  fly  now!  It  didn't  do  no  harm,  did  it!  Jest 
one,  so!  I'd  never  a  thought  she'd  seen  it,  but 
she  did  soon  as  she  opened  the  door.  She  sort  o' 
stiffened  up  the  back.  I  thought  course  it  was  a 
mouse.  An'  it  was  only  one  fly !  Well,  they  are  all 
awful  fidgety,  Willyum. ' ' 

"  What  did  you  do  after  you  changed  your 
clothes?  "  said  Fatty,  who  liked  details. 

"  I  come  on  out,"  said  Mr.  Brown,  simply. 
"  But  it  was  danged  slow  work.  Lafayette  was 
boilin'.  The  excitement  was  wuss  than  when  Trot- 
ter's store  burned  up  with  Trotter  and  Tony 
Keene  inside  of  it.    Where  are  them  boys,  any- 


144      THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

how  ?  ' '  said  Mr.  Brown,  looking  around  the  small 
room.  "  I  must  say  I  thought  they'd  be  sticking 
by  your  side." 

u  The  nurse  won't  let  'em  in,"  said  Fatty. 
"  She  says  they  are  too  excitin'.  I  say  I  wouldn't 
fuss  half  so  much  if  I  could  hear  about  things.  I 
don't  know  how  the  stands  are  doing  or  anything. 
I'd  like  to  find  out.  Gee,  it  makes  me  crazy!  The 
boys '11  think  I'm  a  quitter!  " 

"  Not  in  a  general  way  they  won't,"  said  Mr. 
Brown,  soothingly.  "  How  would  it  be  for  me  to 
go  and  just  take  a  squint  at  things  ?  ' ' 

"  Oh,  do!  "  said  Fatty.  "  Look  around  and 
come  back  and  tell  me." 

"  Good  idee,"  said  Mr.  Brown,  rising  slowly. 
He  produced  a  little  box.  "  Mis'  Brown  sent  ye 
this,"  he  said,  offering  it.  "  It's  some  fruit  pud- 
den.  She  throwed  it  together  while  I  was  changin' 
to  come,  but  I  guess  it's  pretty  tasty.  According 
to  the  paper  you  was  past  pudden;  but  she  had 
faith  an'  here  it  is." 

"I  bet  it's  good,"  said  Fatty,  as  Mr.  Brown 
lumbered  out  of  the  room. 

Fatty  lay  comfortably  listening  to  the  passing 
crowds  and  finally  he  slept.  Mr.  Brown,  steering 
his  slow  way  through  the  hot,  eager  crowd,  bore 
down  on  the  nearest  popcorn  stand. 

"  Nickel's  worth  o'  popcorn!  "  he  said,  gruffly. 

Spider  Morrison,  without  looking  up,  handed 
him  a  hot,  buttery  bag  and  took  the  nickel. 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE      145 

"  Thanks !  "  he  said  briefly  and  handed  another 
bag  to  another  customer.  There  was  a  crowd 
around  the  stand.  Spider's  part  in  the  wild-cat 
scrimmage  had  made  him  a  marked  man.  People 
came  to  stare,  and  incidentally  spent  money  for 
popcorn. 

"  Ain't  they  gruff  with  customers?  "  said  Mr. 
Brown  to  no  one  in  particular.  "  Now  if  that 
young  feller  had  spoken  to  me  gentle,  I'd  a  bought 
another  bag!  "  i 

Spider  looked  up  at  the  words,  stared  and  flung 
himself  upon  Mr.  Brown,  to  the  amazement  of  ike 
crowd. 

"  Hurrah,  boys !  "  cried  Spider.  "  Gee,  Mither 
Brown,  you  do  look  good !  Have  you  theen  Fatty? 
How'th  everything  back  in  the  old  towm?  Folks 
changed  much?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Mr.  Brown.  "  They're  actin' 
kinder  relieved  and  calm-like,  last  few  days. 
Since  Fair  started  'twas.  Folks  says  to  me,  they 
says,  *  Ain't  it  real  sweet  and  quiet  now  that  Mor- 
rison boy  has  packed  up  and  went  off  ?  " 

Spider  laughed. 

"  Wall,"  said  Mr.  Brown, "  I  seen  WMlyum  jest 
now,  and  he  sent  me  on  a  tour  of  inspection.  I  got 
to  report  if  you're  tendin'  to  business.  I  see  you 
be,  so  I'll  go  along.  WhicK  point  of  tfete  compass 
does  Tony  occupy  with  that  new  fellar?  " 

"  Right  across  there,"  said  Spider,  painting, 
and  Mr.  Brown  lumbered  away.   After  Me  fead  vis- 


146      THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

ited  all  the  popcorn  stands  and  had  bought  a  bag 
at  each,  he  walked  back  to  the  entrance  and  leaned 
down  to  the  little  wicket  where  Clement  and  De- 
Forest  took  charge  of  parcels  and  extra  garments. 

"  What's  your  price  for  storin'  a  hat?  "  he 
asked. 

"  Five  cents,"  said  Clement  courteously,  hand- 
ing him  a  check. 

"  I  ain't  got  no  extry  hat,"  said  Mr.  Brown, 
"  but  I  do  like  to  know  things. ' ' 

De  Forest,  peering  over  his  brother's  shoulder, 
laughed  suddenly. 

"I'll  bet  you  are  "Will's  Mr.  Brown  from  La- 
fayette," he  said. 

u  The  money's  yourn!  "  said  Mr.  Brown, 
"  What  made  you  suspicion  me?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  De  Forest.  He  went  to 
the  door  and  opened  it.  * l  Come  in  and  visit  with 
us  a  little  while.    This  is  not  our  busy  time. ' ' 

4 '  Guess  I  will !  Guess  I  will !  ' '  said  Mr.  Brown, 
who  could  never  see  a  chair  without  wanting  to  oc- 
cupy it.  "  I've  done  a  good  lot  o'  hustlin'  to-day. 
It  was  something  scandal 'us  the  way  I  changed  my 
cloze,  and  I  come  throo  town  so  fast  I  didn't  even 
take  time  to  get  a  ice-cream  sody." 

"  Why,  let's  have  one  now,"  said  Clement.^  "  It 
would  taste  good." 

"  Not  yet,  son,  not  yet,"  said  Mr.  Brown. 
"  Let's  set  and  get  acquainted.  See  I  like  to  get 
real  close  acquainted  with  every  Boy  Scout  I  know. 


THE  BO Y  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE      147 

I  heard  Willyum  talk  some  about  you  two.  He  has 
an  awful  good  opinion  of  you,  and  he 's  got  awf ui 
good  judgment,  Willyum  has.  I  'low  a  good  deal 
on  his  judgment,  and  Willyum,  he  leans  on  me. 
We've  done  quite  a  little  plannin'  together,  mostly 
when  we  was  choppin '  wood.  You  ain  't  never  been 
to  Lafayette,  have  ye?  Funny, —  it's  so  close  to 
Syrchester.  But  all  the  better.  It's  like  pickin' 
up  a  noo  book.  If  ye  like  it,  you're  glad  you  ain't 
never  read  it  before,  and  if  it's  stoopid,  why,  then 
you're  glad  also!  But  you'll  like  Lafayette  when 
you  git  right  into  it.  It  is  excitin'  at  times.  This 
here  is  Clement,  I  bet, ' '  said  Mr.  Brown,  studying 
the  smiling  boy.  * '  There  was  earmarks  Willyum 
said  I'd  know  you  by.  What  do  they  call  you  to 
home?  " 

"  Clement  and  DeForest,"  said  Clement,  rub- 
bing at  the  hated  dimples,  which  he  knew  were  the 
"  earmarks." 

"  Ain't  they  awful  stylish  names  to  wear  in 
your  workin'  cloze?  "  asked  Mr.  Brown. 

"  Why,  it's  funny,"  said  Clement,  "  but  we 
never  had  nicknames  in  our  lives  until  just  be- 
fore we  joined  the  Scouts.  Then  a  fellow  we  knew 
hit  on  Tweedle  Dum  and  Tweedle  Dee  with  Dum 
and  Dee  for  short.  Of  course,  Dee  is  not  bad,  but 
I  wouldn't  stand  for  Dum,  you  can  bet,  so  I  had 
to  give  the  chap  a  jolly  good  thrashing.  So  now 
they  call  DeForest,  Dee,  and  they  call  me  Kid,  be- 
cause I've  had  to  fight  a  couple  of  times,  I  suppose. 
Kid  Carroll—" 


148      THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

"  Wall,  that's  nothin'  to  discredit  you,  and 
Kid's  easy  to  say.  I'm  not  for  promiscyous 
scrappin';  but  there  is  times  when  fightin'  is  as 
necessary  as  eatin',  and  most  as  pleasant." 

"  You  are  right,"  said  "  Kid  "  Carroll. 
"  Funny  how  you  feel  about  it,  and  when  you 
fight  for  a  principle  or  a  duty,  why,  you  have  got 
twice  the  science.    Just  twice!  " 

"  It's  certainly  so,"  said  Mr.  Brown.  "  I  fit  a 
feller  twice  my  size  once  f er  what  might  be  called 
a  trifflin'  offense  by  some,  but,  Gee  Hoovers,  it 
made  me  killin'  mad.  He  was  teasin'  a  couple  o' 
kittens. ' ' 

"  What  wath  he  doin'  to  'em?  "  asked  Spider 
Morrison,  who  had  walked  in  while  Mr.  Brown 
was  talking. 

' t  Wall,  he  was  teasin '  'em ;  that 's  enough  said, ' ' 
said  Mr.  Brown  grimly.  "  And  of  all  the  cow- 
ardly, low-down,  mean,  snide  tricks  in  v;his  world, 
teasin'  animals  is  about  the  worst !  I  fit  him,  any- 
how. I  was  about  seventeen  and  he  was  two  or 
three  years  older,  and  big !  Lord,  he  was  big !  But 
I  had  the  advantage  at  that  because  I  didn't  drink 
and  I  was  fightin'  for  them  poor,  innocent,  squall- 
in'  cats.  I  remember  I  mussed  him  up  a  good 
deal." 

"  Was  he  pretty  groggy  when  he  got  up?  " 
asked  Clement  with  the  air  of  a  brother  fighter. 

"'He  didn't  get  up!  "  said  Mr.  Brown.  "  He 
was  took  home  and  nussed  considerable  first,  and 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE      149 

his  folks  talked  some  about  arrestin\  But  a  lot 
of  folks  seen  it  and,  besides,  they  was  the  con- 
stable's cats." 

1 '  That  wath  bully !  '  f  said  Spider,  then  stopped 
and  gazed  in  horror  at  the  wicket  where  the  face 
of  a  young  woman  appeared.  Her  keen,  blue  eyes 
flashed  across  the  four  faces,  her  hair  was  brushed 
smooth  as  a  boy's  and  she  wore  a  Fedora  hat. 

She  shook  a  pencil  at  Spider.  "  Hello,  you 
Spider  Morrison!  "  she  said.  "  You  see  I  re- 
member your  name.  I'm  not  through  with  you 
yet!" 

"  Exthcuse  me,"  said  Spider  politely,  "  I  am 
not  at  home  thith  evening." 

"  Well,  I  don't  want  you  now,  anyway,"  said 
the  young  lady  reporter.  "  I  want  to  come  in 
there  and  check  my  things.  I  am  going  up  in  the 
aeroplane." 

DeForest  opened  the  door  and  she  stepped 
briskly  in. 

She  took  off  her  hat,  and,  opening  a  small  bag, 
took  out  a  half  dozen  hairpins  and  proceeded  te 
skewer  her  hair  still  tighter.  Then  she  took  a 
small  mirror  from  the  bag. 

"  Hold  that,"  she  said  to  Spider.  "  You  are 
an  old  pal  of  mine,  you  know.  Don't  let  it  wabble 
like  that, —  you  make  me  dizzy!  " 

She  took  out  a  small  box,  and  opening  it,  put  a 
coat  of  powder  on  her  smooth  chin.  Another  trip 
into  the  bag's  amazing  interior,  and  a  veil  was 
closely  tied  around  her  h^sd. 


150      THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

•  *  Anybody  got  a  sweater  ?  ' '  she  demanded. 

"  Here's  mine,"  said  Kid  Carroll. 

"  Thanks,  that's  a  dream,"  said  the  strange 
young  person,  hustling  into  it.  u  Now  who  has 
got  some  pants  clips  ?  ' ' 

"  Some  what?  "  said  Spider,  feebly.  He  still 
held  the  looking  glass. 

"  Clips  —  clips  —  clips  that  yon  nse  on  a  bi- 
cycle. There's  a  pair  now!  "  she  cried,  seizing 
a  pair  hanging  on  a  wheel. 

"  Bnt  those  are  checked.  Yon  can't  have 
those,"  cried  DePorest. 

11  Oh,  don't  be  fussy,"  said  the  young  lady  re- 
porter. "  If  the  fellow  that  owns  them  comes  be- 
fore I  do,  why,  give  him  a  quarter  out  of  that  bag 
you've  got,  Spider. 

"  I've  got  a  chance  to  go  up  in  an  aeroplane, 
and  it  means  a  big  write-up  for  me.  I'll  make  a 
whole  column  just  out  of  my  sensations.  But  I 
don't  want  to  look  like  a  parachute,  so  I'm  going 
to  fasten  my  skirt  with  those  clips.  Ta-ta,  boys, 
I'm  off!  I'll  throw  you  a  kiss  when  we  get  up  a 
thousand  feet,"  and  skipped  out,  banging  the 
door. 

There  was  a  stunned  silence,  then  Mr.  Brown 
said  musingly:  "  I  didn't  have  a  thing  to  donate 
but  a  celluloid  collar  and  my  jackknife.  But  if 
she'd  wanted  'em,  she'd  a  had  'em.  My,  my.  ain't 
I  lucky  Mis'  Brown  ain't  built  on  them  lines? 
Spider,  she  seems  to  be  layin'  fer  you  pertickler." 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE      151 

Spider  groaned.  "  Don't  talk  about  it,"  he 
said. 

* '  She  that  bethide  me  on  the  thoap  box  yester- 
day, and  I  '11  thwear  she  asthked  me  a  million  ques- 
tions. And  she  kept  thitting  me  down  hard  any 
time  I  tried  to  thneak  away.  "When  I  told  her  the 
truth,  she  said  it  wath  too  tame ;  and  when  I  made 
up  thome,  she  thaid  I  lied.  I  couldn't  pleath  her! 
I  bet  sheth  a  good  sport,  at  that.  Leth  go  thee  her 
fly." 

They  went  out,  leaving  DeForest  with  the  stand, 
and  watched  the  big  mechanical  bird  begin  its 
graceful  flight. 

Then  Mr.  Brown,  with  a  handshake  all  round 
started  alone  for  the  paddock,  refusing  the  com- 
pany which  Spider  and  Kid  Carroll  fairly  thrust 
upon  him. 

1 1  Thank  ye  just  the  same,  boys !"  he  said, 
"  but  I'm  off  on  a  little  kind  o'  tear  to-day,  now 
I've  seen  that  Willyum  ain't  chawed  and  clawed 
the  way  the  papers  said,  and  you'd  likely  be  in 
the  way.  I  might  take  to  drinkin',"  he  added, 
stopping  a  small  boy  and  buying  a  cone  of  pink 
ice-cream. 

He  dawdled  along,  his  big,  slow,  kindly  face 
turned  here  and  there  in  search  of  new  sights  and 
amusements.  When  he  reached  the  long  curving 
stables  where  the  horses  had  their  clean,  light, 
airy  quarters,  he  scanned  the  names  of  the  own- 
ers until  he  reached  the  big  card  bearing  the  name* 


152      THE  BOY  SCOUTS' DEFIANCE 

of  Colonel  Asa  Lee  De  Wolfe,  Cloverdell  Farms, 
Cloverdell,  Ky.  Mr.  Brown  turned  in,  and  one  by 
one  studied  the  sleek  beauties,  each  in  its  box  stall. 
When  he  reached  the  stall  with  Alice's  name  above 
it,  he  leaned  comfortably  across  the  bar,  and  held 
a  big  hand  out  to  the  shining  black  mare. 

' \  Wall,  wall,  peachie,  you  done  'em  ail  up, 
didn't  you?  "  he  asked,  as  she  wheeled  at  the 
sound  of  his  little,  clucking  call,  and  thrust  a 
slender  muzzle  into  his  coat  pocket. 

"  Wall,  I'd  say  you  was  just  a  mite  spoiled! 
How'd  you  know  I  was  loaded  with  candy  just  on 
the  chanca  of  meetin'  you? 

' '  Why,  you  pretty,  I  'd  like  to  a  seen  you  race ! 
But  Wiliyum's  going  to  tell  me  all  about  it,  so 
it'll  be  most  as  good  as  seem'  it." 

A  white  moustached  old  man  with  a  red  face 
and  big  frame  entered  the  stable,  and  cast  a  sus- 
picious look  at  Mr.  Brown,  who  turned  a  calm  and 
kindly  gaze  upon  him,  and  then  held  out  a  large 
and  rather  smudgy  hand. 

"  I've  an  idee  from  what  Willyum  Ransier  said 
that  this  is  Colonel  De  Wolfe,"  he  said.  "  I'm 
Brown,  Hennery  Brown  of  Lafayette —  " 

"  I'm  suttenly  pleased  to  meet  you,  sah,"  he 
said  heartily.  "  Any  friend  of  young  Eansier  is 
a  friend  of  mine.  A  remarkable  boy,  Mr.  Brown ! 
It  was  wuth  the  trouble  of  the  trip  north  to  meet 
him;  and  he  put  me  in  touch  with  the  most  re- 
markable jockey  I've  ever  seen.  Why,  that  man 
Petahs  is  old  enough  to  be  shelved,  but  he's  as 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE      153 

active  as  a  boy  and  as  agile  as  a  monkey.  And 
he  knows  horse  talk.  I've  caught  him  talkin* 
to  Alice  every  time  he's  here;  and  she  un- 
derstands every  word  of  it.  He 's  suttenly  a  won- 
der! Why,  that  man  could  make  any  horse  do 
whatever  he  liked.  I  wish  I  had  someone  like  him 
at  home." 

M  Well,  it's  only  a  question  o'  carfare,  ain't 
it,  Colonel?  Did  you  put  it  to  him?  " 

"It  never  occurred  to  me,"  said  the  Colonel, 
simply.  "  Why,  I  don't  believe  he'd  consider  it!  " 

"  Why  not?  "  asked  Mr.  Brown.  "  Have  you 
hern  about  his  daughter  that  the  boys  is  tryin'  to 
nuss  back  to  life?  Wall,  if  I  was  Peters,  I'd 
ruther  take  that  little  girl  down  there  and  jockey 
for  just  house  rent  than  to  stay  up  here  elevatin* 
and  janiterin'  for  a  livin'." 

"  A  jockey  gets  big  pay,"  said  Colonel  De 
Wolfe,  staring  at  the  little  horse. 

"  Wall,  that  settles  that  end,"  said  Mr.  Brown 
easily.  "  Now  about  the  little  girl.  How  are  you 
off  down  there  fer  climate?  " 

1  *  Finest  in  the  world !  ' '  exclaimed  the  Colonel. 

"  Wall,  then  there's  that  fixed,"  said  Mr. 
Brown.  1 l  When  would  you  say  they  orter  start?  " 

The  Colonel  laughed.  "  You  are  certainly  a 
hustler,"  he  said. 

"  Not  so  very  much,  but  see  I'm  a  sort  o'  Boy 
Scout  myself,  so  I  haf  to  keep  my  end  a  movin'-," 
said  Mr.  Brown. 


154      THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

"It  is  suttinly  a  fine  plan,"  mused  the  Col- 
onel. 

"  That's  what  it  is,"  said  Mr.  Brown,  "  and 
I'm  mighty  glad  the  idee  'cnrred  to  you.  Funny 
how  you  come  to  think  of  it !  " 

--  It  is  funny,"  said  the  Colonel,  looking  slyly 
at  the  innocent  Mr.  Brown.  "  But  at  that,  I  do 
believe  I  couldn't  do  a  bettah  thing.  It  is  high 
land  all  about  us  there  at  Cloverdell,  but  there  is 
one  fine  little  cottage  on  the  estate  that  stands 
right  up  on  a  knoll.  You  can  see  foh  miles  from 
the  porch,  and  the  rivah  is  only  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  away.  There's  a  beautiful  garden  with  the 
little  place.  It  is  empty  now.  I  could  let  Petahs 
iiave  it  just  as  well  as  not,  and  he's  the  best  jockey 
I  ever  saw." 

"  Wall,  then  that's  off  our  minds,"  said  Mr. 

.Brown.  "  I  hope  somebody  sets  Peters  down  care- 

:ful  before  he  gets  this  thing  broke  to  him.     It 

wewld  seem  land  of  overcomin'  after  elevatin'  and 

janiterin'." 

Once  more  he  solemnly  shook  hands  with  Col- 
onel De  Wolfe.  "  By  Gee  Hoovers,  Colonel,  I 
really  must  say  I  b'lieve  that's  the  best  idee  you 
ever  had!  " 


CHAPTER  XII 

SAVED. 

Mr.  Brown,  having  parted  reluctantly  from  Col- 
onel De  Wolfe,  whom  he  clubbed  a  ' i  fine  old  feller 
with  mighty  good  idees, ' '  hastened  at  his  best  pace 
to  tell  Fatty  all  the  news. 

It  was  almost  time  for  the  gates  to  close  and 
the  crowds  were  hurrying  towards  the  entrance. 
As  he  approached  the  Eed  Cross  building,  he  was 
surprised  to  see  a  stocky,  well-built  youth  dash 
madly  around  the  corner  of  the  building  and  hide 
behind  a  wagon  that  was  there. 

When  Mr.  Brown  came  nearer,  the  boy  thrust 
out  a  cautious  head,  and  gave  the  Scout  salute. 
Mr.  Brown  turned  to  go  to  him,  but  Spider  — 
for  Spider  it  was  —  waved  him  frantically  back, 
pointing  as  best  he  could  around  the  corner  of  the 
building  to  the  front  steps.  Mr.  Brown  looked. 
There,  not  five  feet  away,  gazing  eagerly  in  the 
opposite  direction,  was  the  young  lady  reporter. 

"  Hello!  Do  you  happen  to  know  where  that 
Spider  Morrison  kid  is  !  ' ' 

"  Why,  he  must  be  on  the  grounds  som'ers, 
ain't  he,  Ma'am?  "  answered  Mr.  Brown,  weakly. 

6 '  You  would  think  so, ' '  she  said.  ' '  I  have  been 
hunting  for  him  everywhere,  and  I've  almost  run 
him  down  a  dozen  times." 

155 


156       THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

"  Wall,  wall!  "  said  Mr.  Brown,  approaching 
the  corner  of  the  building  where  he  conld  talk  to 
the  young  lady  and  still  keep  an  eye  on  Spider. 

"  Now,  Ma'am,  I've  knowed  that  boy  quite  a 
spell;  fifteen  or  sixteen  year  off  an'  on,  I  should 
say,  and  I  never  knowed  him  to  do  anythin'  what 
you  might  call  wuth  reportin'.  He  ain't  been 
elopin'  or  forgin',  or  any  of  them  reely  up-to-date 
tricks,  has  he,  now!  " 

The  young  lady  reporter  laughed. 

"  Oh  no,  hardly,"  she  said.  "  I  just  want  him 
to  give  me  an  interview  that  I  can  publish  about 
the  Boy  Scouts.  Spider  is  so  refreshingly  orig- 
inal, and  his  lisp  is  so  cunning." 

Behind  the  wagon,  Spider  hit  himself  violently 
in  the  head  with  his  clenched  fist,  and  kicked  an 
imaginary  boy. 

■f  Wall,  I'm  afraid  he  ain't  much  on  intervoos, 
Spider  ain't,"  Mr.  Brown  mused.  "  I  notice  he 
avoids  'em  as  much  as  he  kin  when  the  Principal 
of  the  High  School  gits  anxious  to  see  him.  Some- 
times it's  reel  pinted  the  way  he  gits  around  bein' 
intervood.  I've  seen  Mr.  Foure,  our  Principal, 
what  you  might  call  reel  put  out  about  it.  Now 
it  ain't  that  way  with  me;  I'm  alwus  reel  pleased 
to  talk,  especially  when  I  can  git  a  smart,  perky 
young  lady  like  you  to  converse  with. ' ' 

"  Thank  you,"  said  the  young  lady  reporter 
awkwardly.  Compliments  were  not  in  her  line. 
Besides,  she  wanted  Spider  Morrison. 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE      157 

"  I  think  that  I  will  just  sit  down  here  and 
wait,"  she  said,  suddenly  dropping  down  on  the- 
step.  "  He's  bound  to  come  back,  because  he's 
left  his  coat  inside !  ' ' 

"  Why,  what's  his  coat  doin'  here  if  Spider 
ain't  in  it?  "  asked  Mr.  Brown  in  surprise. 

"  He  came  to  see  the  Eansier  boy,  and  went  out 
on  an  errand,  and  it  was  then  that  I  began  to  miss 
him.  Of  course, ' '  added  the  young  lady  reporter 
with  frightful  cocksureness,  "  it  is  annoying  to 
hang  around  and  waste  time  like  this,  but  I'll  get 
him  sooner  or  later." 

v  Ain't  it  nice  to  feel  like  that  —  so  sure  and 
settled?  "  said  Mr.  Brown  appreciatively.  "  It 
must  save  an  awful  lot  of  guessin'.  Now  from 
what  I  know  o'  Spider,  I  ain't  never  sure  I'm 
speakin'  to  him  unless  I  got  him  by  both  laypels, 
and  a  hollerin'  in  his  ear.  When  you  got  to  send 
in  your  write-up?  " 

"  Tonight,"  said  the  young  lady,  uneasily. 

The  farm  wagon  behind  which  Spicier  had  taken 
refuge  was  a  large  one.  There  was  some  straw  in 
the  deep  box,  and  Spider,  with  a  sad  farewell  wave 
of  his  hand  toward  Mr.  Brown,  cautiously  climbed 
over  the  wheel  and  laid  down. 

"  Got  to  get  it  all  wrote  up  and  in  tonight,  eh?  " 
said  Mr.  Brown.  i  '  Wall,  that  don 't  give  ye  much' 
time,  now  does  it?  " 

"  No,"  she  said,  "  but,  you  see,  he  will  come 

back  for  his  coat. ' ' 
11 


158      THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE 

"  I  wouldn't  lot  on  it,"  said  Mr.  Brown. 
ii  Leastways,  not  too  much.  Spider  ain't  sot  on 
-coats.  I  knowed  him  leave  a  good  one  up  the 
Methodist  steeple  when  he  was  climbin'  up  there 
after  doves.  He  tied  it  on  the  bell  clapper  for 
safe  keepin5  goin'  up,  and  comin'  down  he  was  so 
busy  hold-in'  the  doves  with  two  hands  and  hangin' 
on  with  ike  rest  of  his  self  that  he  clean  f  ergot  it. 
That  was  a  Sat 'day  night  an'  nex'  day  the  bell 
rung  kind  o '  mufHed  and  holler.  Lord !  Some  o ' 
the  good  folks  took  it  fer  a  sign,  and  fer  three 
weeks  there  was  the  rousmist  meetin's!  " 

"  "What  happened  then?  "  asked  the  young  lady. 

' l  Somebuddy  went  up  and  investigated.  It  was 
alwuz  that  way, —  some  fool  investigate '.  An' 
there  he  found  that  coat  tied  on  by  the  sleeves, 
with  Spider  Morrison's  'rithmetic  papers  in  it." 

The  lady  reporter  laughed. 

"  What  did  the  people  think,  who  had  taken  it 
for  a  sign  ?  ' ' 

"  They  never  knowed,  because  what  they  didn't 
know  wouldn't  hurt  'em." 

"  Who  found  the  coat?  "  asked  the  reporter. 

"  I  done  it,"  said  Mr.  Brown.  "  So  I  just  give 
it  to  Spider.  An'  this  just  shows  what  a  feller 
will  do  fer  a  lady.  I  never  told  that  before.  I 
bet  if  Spider  could  see  you,  just  see  you  a  setting 
and  a  waitin '  on  that  step,  that  he  'd  fairly  scorch 
things  to  git  here  and  tell  you  everything  he 
knows." 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE      159 

Mr.  Brown  rolled  a  cautious  eye  toward  the 
wagon,  and  met  a  glare  of  fury  from  the  boy 
whose  head  was  cautiously  lifted  over  the  edge  of 
the  box. 

"  Well,  I  wish  that  he  would  come,"  said  the 
girl.  "  I  can't  wait  more  than  half  an  hour 
longer. ' ' 

"  I  can't  wait  much  longer  myself,"  said  Mr. 
Brown.  ' l  I  got  to  see  Willyum,  and  report  some 
Scout  business,  and  git  home.  I  dunno  what  the 
woman  will  say  to  me  now. ' ' 

* '  You  needn  't  stay  with  me, ' '  said  the  reporter. 
"  I  can  rest  here  as  well  as  anywhere  else." 

In  the  wagon  two  stout  legs  kicked  sadly  in  the 
air.  The  young  lady  settled  herself  comfortably, 
then,  being  a  woman  as  well  as  a  reporter,  she 
suddenly  changed  her  mind. 

"  Come  to  think  of  it,"  she  said,  u  I'll  go  after 
his  chum,  that  Geezer  kid.  I'll  get  his  ideas  and 
put  in  the  lisp. ' '  She  briskly  tucked  her  pad  and 
pencil  into  her  handbag,  and  arose.  "  If  Spider 
comes,  you  might  say  that  I  want  to  get  hold  of 
him." 

She  walked  swiftly  away,  without  further  good- 
bye, and  as  soon  she  was  at  a  safe  distance, 
Spider  leaped  from  the  wagon  and  joined  Mr. 
Brown,  who  was  contentedly  cutting  a  large  chunk 
from  a  brown  square  of  tobacco. 

"  Wall,  wall,  Spider!  Where  you  bin  keepin* 
yourself,"  he  asked  gravely.    "  I  got  a  message 


160      THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

\  f  er  you.  A  young  lady  wanted  me  to  say  that  she 
wanted  to  get  a-hold  of  you. ' ' 

"  By  golly,  I'll  eat  my  hat  if  she  ever  doth!  " 
cried  Spider.  "  That  girl  hath  sthpoiled  every- 
thing for  me.    I'm  thimply  worn  out !  " 

"  It's  your  fault  for  bein'  so  refreshin'ly  or- 
iginal, and  havin'  that  cute,  cunnin'  lisp,"  said 
Mr.  Brown  cruelly.  "  Spider,  I  got  a  handle  on 
you  now,  son.  If  you  don't  walk  chalk  this  winter 
sure's  I'm  school  janitor,  I'll  tell  Willyum,  and  I 
guess  you  kin  sorter  surmise  the  rest," 

"  Well,  I'll  thay  one  thing,  Mithter  Brown,  ith 
all  off  with  uth  if  you  ever  tell  thith,"  said  Spider, 
hurrying  ahead  into  the  hospital. 

They  found  Fatty  impatiently  awaiting  them. 

"  Gee,  you  came  near  staying  all  night!  ,f  he 
said,  fretfully. 

' i  Wall,  Willyum,  you  give  me  a  good  lot  to  see 
to,  and  I  had  to  do  a  little  life-savin'  on  the  side." 

"  You  are  so  late  I  can't  hear  about  it  any- 
how, ' '  said  Fatty.  ' '  Father  will  be  here  in  about 
ten  minutes.  Help  me  with  my  clothes,  will  you? 
I  don't  want  that  nurse  fiddling  around." 

It  was  slow  work  dressing  with  the  hurt  and 
feverish  arm  to  guard  and  Fatty  found  that  he 
was  too  weak  to  stand  without  assistance.  When 
the  automobile  came,  Mr.  Brown  coolly  picked 
him  up  and  carried  him  out  and  into  the  big  ton- 
neau. 

Mr.  Eansier  had  both  cars.    He  drove  the  big 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE      161 

car  himself,  while  the  chauffeur  took  the  roadster, 
and  they  both  went  back  to  the  city  loaded  with 
boys,  Fatty  leaning  against  Mr.  Brown  and  held 
firmly  by  his  strong  and  tender  arm. 

It  was  a  week  later  before  Mr.  Eansier,  who 
had  volunteered  to  attend  to  Fatty's  part  of  the 
Fair  business,  was  ready  to  call  a  meeting  of  the 
five  Boy  Scouts  who  stood  together  for  Alice 
Peters  in  what  Fatty  called  the  '  \  Defiance  Club. ' ' 

Fatty  was  much  better.  His  wholesome,  clean 
blood  had  repelled  the  poison  in  the  claws  of  the 
wild-cat,  and  the  painful  wounds  were  healing 
nicely.  Dr.  Carroll,  with  the  excuse  of  going  to 
see  how  Alice  was  progressing,  had  carried  Col- 
onel De  Wolfe  off  for  an  automobile  trip  to  the 
North  Woods. 

On  the  evening  of  the  day  set  for  their  return, 
the  boys  met  Mr.  Eansier  at  his  apartment.  When 
the  two  Carrolls  came  in  it  was  evident  that  they 
were  laboring  under  great  excitement. 

"  What's  eatin'  you?  "  Fatty  inquired  peev- 
ishly, from  his  divan.  "  Gosh,  you've  got  some- 
thing on  your  minds!  Look  at  'em!  "  he  said, 
turning  to  Spider,  who  was  spending  Saturday 
and  Sunday  with  him.  *  *  Look  at  'em !  I  hope  I 
may  never  see  such  a  pair  of  chessy-cats. " 

Clem  Carroll  laughed  outright. 

"  Awfully  sorry  not  to  explain,  old  chap,"  he 
said.  "  But  it's  not  my  funeral,  so  I  can't  tell. 
It  will  all  come  out  in  a  little  while." 


162       THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE 

Fatty  grunted.  He  wasn't  strong  for  secrets 
when  he  was  on  the  ontside.  He  was  still  scowl- 
ing when  the  door  opened  and  Colonel  De  Wolfe 
came  in  followed  by  Doctor  Carroll.  They  too 
wore  an  air  of  pleasant  mystery  and  Fatty  gritted 
his  teeth.  He  locked  at  the  two  Carrolls  and  for 
the  first  time  noted  the  great  change  in  the  boys. 
The  fat  Carrolls  had  disappeared.  New  inter- 
ests and  manly  aims,  better  hours  and  hard  ex- 
ercises had  changed  the  tv^o  boys  almost  past  rec- 
ognition. The  hated  dimples  still  remained  but 
scarcely  showed  in  the  new  firm  leanness  of  cheek 
and  jaw.  The  fat  was  disappearing  from  their 
bodies,  leaving  a  sturdy  squareness  of  build  which 
delighted  their  father. 

Mr.  Eansier  proceeded  at  once  to  the  business 
part  of  the  meeting. 

"  As  Will  was  laid  up,  someone  else  had  to  take 
charge  of  his  share  of  the  Fair  business,"  said 
Mr.  Eansier.    "  So  I  have  settled  things  for  him 
and  wish  to  submit  my  report. " 

He  laid  in  the  hands  of  each  person  present  a 
neatly  typewritten  page  covered  with  figures. 
There  was  silence  for  a  few  moments,  then  Dee 
Carroll  whistled  softly,  and  everybody  began  to 
talk  at  once.  Such  an  amount  from  a  week's  hard 
work  they  had  never  hoped  for  nor  dreamed  of. 

"  Bather  remarkable  results,  don't  you  think?  " 
he  asked. 

"  Puffectly   amazin',"   the    Colonel   exploded. 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE      163 

"  Yes,  suh,  absolutely  astoundin'  !  I  will  say, 
young  gentlemen,  that  I  am  proud  to  know  men 
of  youah  ability  and  attainments.  To  make  a  sum 
like  that  and  devote  it  to  such  a  cause  is  worthy 
of  the  highest  type  of  manhood.  As  I  have  been 
given  to  understand,  you  were  the  means  of  dis- 
co vahin'  this  po'  young  girl,  by  some  fo'tunate 
accident  ' '  —  The  boys  threw  sheepish  and  guilty 
glances  at  each  other  » — "  and  you  detuhmined  to 
fight  death  away  from  her." 

Mrs.  Ransier  flashed  a  bright  smile  at  the  lads. 
"  It  was  the  Scouts'  Defiance,"  she  said. 

u  A  most  noble  one,"  said  the  Colonel.  "  I 
can  tell  you  now,  confidentially,  suhs,  that  that 
po'  Petahs  has  confessed  to  me  that  at  the  time 
you  f  ohtunately  discovahed  his  secret,  that  he  was 
neah  stahvation!  His  po'  little  wages  were  goin' 
every  cent  foh  comforts  foh  that  sweet,  sufTerin' 
child.  It  was  a  beautiful  sacrifice,  friends,  and 
po'  Petahs  richly  deserves  all  the  assistance  thet 
you  can  give  him.  Now  I  have  one  or  two  little 
suggestions  to  of±ah,  and  as  they  consuhn  Petahs, 
it  might  be  well  to  call  him.  Don't  vou  think  so, 
Ransier?  " 

"  Decidedly  yes,"  said  Mr.  Ransier,  and  started 
to  the  door. 

"  Let  me  go!  "  said  Mrs.  Ransier;  "  I  do  not 
think  that  I  can  quite  stand  being  here  when  you 
tell  him." 

The  boys  looked  grave,  and  thought  of  Alice. 


164      THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

Was  she  worse?  It  suddenly  occurred  to  Fatty 
and  Chuck  and  Tony  that  Dr.  Carroll  had  not 
mentioned  her  name.  Chuck  turned  to  Tony  and 
whispered,  "  Bet  she  is  goin'  to  croak!  "  Chuck 
was  always  slangy  when  he  was  worried.  Tony 
with  his  eyes  on  the  Carroll  boys '  beaming  faces, 
shook  his  head. 

As  Peters  entered  the  door,  pushed  in  by  Mr. 
Eansier,  the  boys  felt  their  fears  set  at  rest. 
Alice  must  be  better,  for  a  look  of  perfect  peace 
overspread  Peters '  thin  face. 

Colonel  De  Wolfe  shook  him  heartily  by  the 
hand. 

"  Petahs,  I  congratulate  you.  Doctah  Carroll 
and  the  othahs  told  me  the  good  news  about 
youah  daughtah,  and  when  I  saw  her,  I  made  up 
my  mind  quite  unofficially  that  the  little  girl  was 
well  on  the  way  to  recovery." 

"  Thanks  to  you,  sir,  and  thanks  to  every  one,' ' 
said  Peters.  "  Yes,  sir,  Dr.  Carroll  tells  me  that 
my  Alice  is  going  to  be  well  again. ' ' 

He  suddenly  clinched  his  bony  hands  and  in  his 
thin  cheeks  the  knobs  rose  and  fell. 

"  Oh,  I  hates  to  ferget  I'm  a  man,  gentlemen, 
but  I  can't  forget  that  I'm  a  father,  too;  and 
you'll  have  to  overlook  it,  if  all  your  wonderful 
kindness  almost  makes  me  cry.  I  ain't  got  a  way 
to  thank  you  —  I  don't  know  a  word  fit;  but 
just  you  look  at  my  little  Alice,  gentlemen,  and 
you'll  guess  a  bit  of  what  I  feel.    Why,  with  what 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE      165 

the  Colonel  gives  me  for  the  race,  and  the  won- 
derful lot  the  young  gentlemen  made,  I've  got  a 
new  hold  on  life  as  well  as  she." 

His  face  quivered;  and  he  looked  wistfully  at 
the  Scouts.  "  I  tell  you,  I  don't  know  how  to 
thank  you  boys,"  he  said  huskily,  "  but  Alice  and 
I  will  pray  God  bless  you  every  day  of  our  lives." 

The  boys,  badly  embarrassed  by  the  poor  little 
man's  gratitude,  wriggled  uneasily. 

"  That's  nothing,"  said  Fatty  at  last,  as  no  one 
else  offered  to  speak.  "  It  was  just  Scout  work, 
you  know." 

"  Then  God  bless  the  Boy  Scouts!  "  said  Pet- 
ers fervently;  and  the  Colonel  added  a  hearty 
"  Amen." 

"  Well,  you  still  have  fine  news  to  hear,  Pet- 
ers," said  Doctor  Carroll,  "  so  you  must  pick 
yourself  up  and  bear  good  fortune  as  manfully 
as  you  underwent  sorrow.  Listen  to  what  the 
Colonel  has  to  say." 

"I  wish  that  youah  friend  Brown  was  heah," 
said  the  Colonel,  smiling.  "  He  has  a  genius  for 
putting  good  ideas  into  othah  people's  haids  and 
I'll  bet  that  he's  good  at  explainin'  'em.  But  he's 
not  present,  so  to  be  short,  Petahs,  I  am  plannm* 
to  take  you  and  Alice  home  to  Clovahdell  with  me. 
I  need  you  as  a  jockey,  Petahs,  and  I'm  afraid  I 
will  have  to  have  you.  In  fact  they  are  renovatin' 
youah  little  cottage  now;  and  I  got  word  this 
mohnin'  that  it  will  be  all  ready  next  week.    I've 


166      THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

got  a  nice  ole  black  Mammy  to  look  aftah  youh 
chile,  and  that  will  give  you  plenty  of  time  to 
work  out  the  colts.  And  this  heah  magnificent 
sum  the  boys  have  eahned,  and  what  you  don't 
need  to  spend  of  youah  racin'  money,  would  make 
her  a  nice  little  nest-egg,  Fetalis.  You  see,  she  '11 
need  schoolin'  when  she's  strongah,  Petahs,  and 
theah  you  ah !  " 

There  was  a  long  silence,  then  Peter  looked  up, 
his  face  pale  glowing  with  happiness. 

"  It  will  be  heaven^"  he  said  simply. 

"  Then  it  is  all  settled,"  said  the  Colonel 
briskly,  clearing  his  throat. 

The  door  opened,  and  Mrs.  Eansier  entered, 
leading  by  the  hand  a  fair  young  girl  in  whose 
face  the  clear  color  of  health  already  glowed. 

"  Ah,"  said  Dr.  Carroll,  "  here  is  our  patient 
now!  " 

The  girl  bowed  prettily,  and  the  boys,  with  the 
exception  of  the  two  Carrolls,  who  came  forward 
and  greeted  her  easily,  all  froze  into  awkward 
positions  beside  their  chairs. 

i(  She  can  only  stay  for  a  moment,"  said  Mrs. 
Eansier,  grasping  the  situation  with  her  usual 
quickness,  and  talking  rapidly.  "  I  thought  Mr. 
Eansier  would  like  to  see  how  well  she  looks." 

"  I  should  say  I  would!  "  said  Mr.  Eansier, 
heartily  clasping  the  girl's  little  hand.  "  This  is 
certainly  a  pleasure,  Miss  Alice!  " 

1  '  She  says  she  is  not  a  bit  tired  after  that  long 


THE  BOY  SCOUTS '  DEFIANCE      167 

automobile  ride,  doctor, '  *  continued  Mrs.  Eansier. 
il  Isn't  that  wonderful?  Now  she  is  going  to  be 
very  quiet  for  a  day  or  two,  and  then  she  will  be 
ready  to  have  us  all  come  up  to  see  her.  So  you 
see  we  will  have  to  hurry  away  now. ' '  Mrs.  Ean- 
sier cast  a  mischievous  glance  at  her  son.  "  If 
you  can  spare  us,"  she  added. 

Fatty  glared  back.  How  his  mother  did  love 
to  tease!  It  was  not  until  he  heard  the  spring 
latch  click  that  he  was  sure  that  the  girl  was 
really  gone,  and  that  his  mother  and  Peters  had 
gone  with  her.  He  sighed — a  long  breath  of  relief. 
Fatty  sat  moodily  peering  into  the  future.  It 
was  full  of  girls.  He  could  read  his  fate  —  his 
awful  fate  —  there. 

As  he  pondered,  the  Colonel  spoke. 

"  Well,  doctah,  and  Eansier,  I  must  be  goin' 
along.  This  has  been  a  most  enjoyable  meetin', 
suhs,  and  I  would  like  to  say  that  it  is  a  pity  that 
theah  are  not  moh  Boy  Scouts  than  theah  ah.  I 
shall  see  to  it  pussonally  that  the  Clovahdell  boys 
become  Boy  Scouts,  if  I  have  to  get  these  heah 
boys  to  come  down  and  teach  them.  I  tell  you, 
boys,  the  earnestness  of  puppose,  the  defense  of 
the  weak  and  helpless,  the  chivalry  toward 
womanhood  that  you  have  shown  in  this  aftaih, 
lias  touched  me  to  the  very  heahl \  I  suttenly  am 
proud  to  know  you  all.  And  next  yeah,  if  we 
all  ah  alive,  I'm  go  in'  to  send  my  cah  up  and  get 
you  all  down  to  Clovahdell  foh  the  summah." 


168      THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  DEFIANCE 

Fatty  sat  up.  "  Great  Caesar's  ghost,  Colonel, 
do  you  really  mean  it  f  ' ' 

"  On  the  honah  of  a  gentleman,  suh!  "  he  said. 

Fatty  looked  at  the  boys.  "  We  all  accept," 
he  said  solemnly. 

"  This  includes  you,  too,  Morrison,"  added  the 
Colonel  to  the  unusually  silent  Spider.  "  You 
ought  to  come  in  on  this,  if  only  foh  what  the 
reportahs  have  made  you  suf£ah." 

"  I'm  a  million  times  obliged,"  said  Spider,  his 
fine  eyes  lighting  up.  "  But  it  wath  really  only 
one  reporter,  the  young  lady  one.  Merthy  me, 
I'll  never  thee  a  Fedora  hat  or  a  penthil  without 
thuddering!  " 

"  It  has  been  an  eventful  summer,"  said  Doctor 
Carroll,  rising,  "  and  it  has  had  a  happy  sending. 
Little  John  is  well  again,  and  Kid  0  'Connors  has 
found  his  brother.  Alice  is  going  to  recover  her 
health,  and  Peters  will  be  able  to  give  her  a  com- 
fortable, happy  home.  Will  has  saved  a  child 
from  a  frightful  death,  though  at  some  cost  to 
himself.  My  sons  have  become  just  the  boys  that 
I  wanted  them  to  be,  and  all  these  things  have 
come  about  through  the  Boy  Scouts,  and  their 
Defiance. 

"  True  enough,"  said  Mr.  Eansier.  "  And 
I've  left  one  piece  of  good  news  for  Will  until  the 
last.  I'm  through  here,  son.  We  are  going  back 
to  Lafayette!" 


THE     BRADEN     BOOKS 


FAR    PAST    THE    FRONTIER. 

By    JAMES    A.    BRADEN 

The  6ub-title  "  Two  Boy  Pioneers  "  indicates  the  nature  of  this 
Story — that  it  has  to  do  with  the  days  when  the  Ohio  Valley  and 
the  Northwest  country  were  sparsely  settled.  Such  a  topic  is  an 
anfailing  fund  of  interest  to  boys,  especially  when  involving  a 
couple  of  stalwart  young  men  who  leave  the  East  to  make  their 
fortunes  and  to  incur  untold  dangers. 

"  Strong,  vigorous,  healthy,  manly." — Seattle  Times, 

CONNECTICUT    BOYS    IN 
THE    WESTERN    RESERVE 

By    JAMES    A.    BRADEN 

The  author  once  more  sy»ds  his  heroes  toward  the  setting  sun. 
"  In  all  the  glowing  enthusfasm  of  youth,  the  youngsters  seek  their 
fortunes  in  the  great,  fertile  wilderness  of  northern  Ohio,  and 
eventually  achieve  fair  success,  though  their  progress  is  hindered 
and  sometimes  halted  by  adventures  innumerable.  It  is  a  lively, 
wholesome  tal«,  never  dull,  and  absorbing  in  interest  for  boys  who 
love  the  fabled  life  of  the  frontier." — Chicago  Tribune, 

THE  TRAIL  of  THE  SENECA 

By    JAMES    A.    BRADEN 

In  which  we  follow  the  romantic  careers  of  John  Jerome  and 
Return  Kingdom  a  little  farther. 

These  two  self-reliant  boys  are  living  peaceably  in  their  cabin 
on  the  Cuyahoga  when  an  Indian  warrior  is  found  dead  in  the 
woods  nearby.  The  Seneca  accuses  John  of  witchcraft.  This  means 
death  at  the  stake  if  he  is  captured.  They  decide  that  the  Seneca's 
charge  is  made  to  shield  himself,  and  set  out  to  prove  it.  Mad 
Anthony,  then  on  the  Ohio,  comes  to  their  aid,  but  all  their  efforts 
prove  futile  and  the  lone  cabin  is  found  in  ashes  on  their  return. 

C  A  P  T  I  V  E  S    ~T  H  R  E  E 

By    JAMES    A.    BRADEN 

A  tale  of  frontier  life,  and  how  three  children — two  boys  and  a 

f:irl — attempt  to  reach  the  settlements  in  a  canoe,  but  are  captured 
\y  the  Indians.     A  common  enough  occurrence  in  the  days  of  our 
®r£at-£randfathers  has  been  woven  into  a  thrilling  story. 

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